VILLAGERS have welcomed a new community shop that has opened to end a five year wait.

As previously reported on Thurrock Nub News the new community shop - which is owned and managed by Bulphan residents - was officially opened this afternoon (Friday, 27 March).

Master of ceremonies was community stalwart Janet McCheyne who said: "More than five years ago, our village shop closed suddenly and we started to consider what we could do to reinstate an essential need in the village.

"Out of the blue, an anonymous benefactor offered to pay the costs of building a new shop.

"It was an amazing and probably a unique gesture. Some of you will be aware of the challenges we have had to overcome to get to where we are today.

"But throughout the process, we had the support of the village to keep us going."

The new shopkeepers are Fathima and Vichu, who run the Herongate Stores and Costcutters in Running Waters, Hutton.

Bulphan's shop is under the Premier franchise, with an off-licence.

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The Lottery will be added very soon, and the Outreach Post Office, currently in the village hall, will in time transfer to the shop and be available all the hours the shop is open (7am - 9pm, every day).

Janet added: Bulphan village needs a shop: and now it's here, the shop needs Bulphan village.

"Please do use it: not just in times of emergency, but regularly, so that it thrives, and the voluntary organisations in the village who will benefit from the rental income will also thrive."

A plaque was unveiled that shows all the people who helped make the community initiative possible.

They include the benefactor, Colin Pankhurst - who liaised between villagers and the benefactor - the build sub-committee: Colin, Peter Tarrant, Diane Perkins, David Hale and Janet McCheyne, those who provided loans or donations, those who supported fundraising events, Bulphan Village Hall trustees, the Community Forum, WI, Bulphan in Bloom, SJF charities who provided a grant, the Rural Community Council of Essex and Thurrock Council.