The current owner of a much-loved local shop says it will close in October unless a community share offer can be fulfilled.

Wholefoods of Newport is has been a much-loved community hub for the past four decades.

The shop has played an invaluable role in supporting local suppliers. It has a loyal customer base and is an integral part of the varied retail mix of independent businesses that helps Newport to thrive.

The shop is currently on the market. It is hoped that a community share offer, launched by Project Wholefoods last Thursday will raise at least £325,000 in order to buy the shop.

If more is raised it will be used to realise the exciting plans that the Project Wholefoods team have for the business.

If successful, this will be the second community owned shop in Newport. Havards became the UK’s the first community-owned hardware store last year.

Wholefoods of Newport is currently run by Clare Thomas along with her mum and daughter. Retirement plans and health conditions mean that they have to sell the business and plan to close after the summer.

However, Clare is rooting for the Project Wholefood community share scheme to be a success.

“If we don’t manage to do this, we will have to shut it down in October,” she told the Western Telegraph.

However, if the share bid is successful the current staff will keep their jobs and the Project Wholefood team plans to improve the shop’s offer.

“They have got a huge business plan,” said Clare. “They love the place. Some of them come from places where there are no shops left, just a Tesco. They know what that’s like.”

She added that one of the Project Wholefood team with a background in design has redesigned the shop and the planned makeover looks wonderful. The plan would be to run the shop as it is until January and then shut it down for a month and revamp it.

The minimum investment in the share offer is £100, with investors receiving up to four percent interest.

Each share holder will have a vote on the direction of the business.

“It’s a great opportunity for local people to get involved, keep the shop open and have their say,” said Clare. “You can say what you would like to see happen and it will be put to the vote.”

Clare expressed concern that if the wholefood shop went, it could impact on other Newport businesses.

“It does make a difference having local shops in town,” she said. “If people can’t get their ingredients here people might go to Cardigan or Fishguard and do the rest of their shopping there as well.

“There’s such a range of stuff here. At the moment you can get everything you need in Newport.”

To find out more about the business plan and the community share offer, visit www.projectwholefoods.cymru, linked above.