Lodsworth Larder

The community of Lodsworth in Sussex had good reason to celebrate this week - all their hard work has come to fruition in the form of Lodsworth Larder; an eco-friendly, community-owned shop.
 
Drawing on the expertise of local residents, including Ben Law of Grand Designs fame, the community of Lodsworth has constructed a sustainable and aesthetically impressive community shop.
 
Residents raised over £100,000 through grants (including the Plunkett Foundation's Village CORE funding programme), fundraising and selling shares, as well as a 'sponsor' a tile scheme (£1 enabled everyone to sponsor a roof tile, which was then engraved with the individual's name).

As well as being constructed from sustainably sourced wood, the shop will generate it's own electricity via photovoltaic panels, with any surplus being sold on to the national grid. The environmental credentials don't end there...waste water from the sink is used to flush the toiltes, and the shop is well insulated using sheeps wools. The shop committee have also rated the importance of local food very high on the agenda sourcing products from surrounding communities wherever possible.
 
A variety of videos about the shop are available here (YouTube).