Plans to save a shop in a popular Pembrokeshire seaside town through a community purchase scheme are gaining momentum.

It is hoped that Wholefoods of Newport which is currently on the market can be secured as a community-owned shop.

The campaign to bring the much-loved Newport Wholefood Shop into community ownership has begun following a successful public meeting earlier this year. A team of local residents is now taking the project forward.

Since it was established more than 40 years ago, Wholefoods of Newport has been a much-loved community hub.

It has played an invaluable role in supporting local suppliers. It has a loyal customer base of residents and visitors alike. It is also an integral part of the varied retail mix of independent businesses that helps Newport to thrive as a local and tourist centre.

So far, more nearly 200 people have already completed the online survey which the Project Wholefoods team launched to test demand further.

More than 85 per cent of respondents said that securing the future of the wholefoods shop is "very important" to Newport and 90 per cent were supportive of a community purchase.

The business plan and funding applications are currently being finalised, and the launch of a community share offer is planned next month.

Project Wholefoods now has a website at www.projectwholefoods.cymru and a Facebook page at facebook.com/projectwholefoods.

If successful, this will be the second community owned shop in Newport.

Havards in Newport became the first community-owned hardware shop in the UK in 2022. The Project Wholefoods team team is working closely with the group behind this successful community purchase.

“We have been delighted by the response to the project, and the results of the survey confirm that there is a big appetite for a community purchase of Wholefoods of Newport,” said Hugh Simpson-Wells, one of the directors of Project Wholefoods.

“We are now in the process of setting up a community benefit society, and finalising the business plan, funding applications and a community share offer. So watch this space.”

Cris Tomos of PLANED, the charity supporting community share offers in West Wales, added: “Following the successful community purchase of Havards in 2022, it is fantastic to see so much momentum building to secure the future of Wholefoods of Newport as a community-owned sho.

“Responses to the survey are very encouraging, and I am working closely with the Project Wholefoods team to progress funding applications and the community share offer.”