The Project
Closure of the Chapel
The Methodist chapel in Cheriton Fitzpaine, a village in Devon, has been a significant part of the local community for over 160 years. Due to a dwindling and aging congregation, the chapel held its final service on April 7, 2024, and subsequently closed for worship.
The closure of the chapel presents the chance to repurpose the historic building into a community heritage centre, ensuring its preservation and continued relevance. Here are several steps and considerations for this transformation:
An Opportunity to Plan for the Future
1. Community Engagement: Involve local residents in discussions about the chapel’s future use to ensure the project meets the community’s needs and garners widespread support.
2. Feasibility Study: Conduct a study to assess the structural condition of the building, necessary renovations, and potential uses as a heritage centre.
3. Funding and Grants: Explore funding opportunities from various grant providers, to finance the conversion.
4. Heritage Exhibits: Develop exhibits that showcase the history of Methodism in the village, the chapel’s role in the community, and local historical artifacts.
5. Sustainability Plan: To repurpose an existing building and make it as energy efficient as possible.
A successful example of such a transformation is the West Bay Methodist Church in Dorset, which closed in 2007 and was repurposed into the West Bay Discovery Centre in 2018. This centre now serves as a vibrant hub for local heritage and community activities.
By following a similar approach, the former Methodist chapel in Cheriton Fitzpaine can be revitalized as a community heritage centre, preserving its historical significance and providing a valuable resource for the village.
A Precedent
The Blog
This is where we will record all the latest developments in the progress of the project.
Xmas Opening Hours
Please see below:
08.12.25
We are delighted that BBC Spotlight, BBC Radio Devon and BBC Online have taken an interest in our story.
And in case this is the first time you have heard about our project, here is a summary.
Cheriton Fitzpaine Community Shop is a not for profit, community benefit society, run by volunteers and our shop manager, Kevin. And we have been operating successfully from our current site, on a corner of land owned by the Methodists, since May 2018. However, our lease with the Methodists expires in December 2027 and we have no right to renew. We therefore need a long-term home for the shop, otherwise the village will lose its only shop.
In April 2024, the Methodist Chapel closed to worship and the Methodists have offered us the chance to purchase the Chapel. This will ensure both the future of the Shop, but also allow us to save the Chapel, repair it, and renovate it to provide a larger community shop, café and a space to display local arts and crafts.
Save the Shop
Our first goal was to raise the money to purchase the Chapel.
We’ve raised £106,100 through a Community Share Offer, with 220 individuals investing in this project, as well as our local pub The Ring Of Bells. We now have a total of 330 members (or shareholders).
We applied to the Co-operatives UK for equity grant funding and are delighted that the Community Shares ICOF are planning to provide us with £40,000 of equity investment*. Over time we expect to be able to pay this back alongside the other Community Shares. Each investor in our Community Shares has one vote, irrespective of how much equity investment they hold.
We are still negotiating with the Methodists, but we believe we will now have enough funds to purchase the Chapel and carry out the essential repairs.
Once we have purchased the Chapel, we will have saved the Shop from closure.
Save the Chapel
The next step will be to carry out the conversion work.
We have some funds held in reserve, which we have built up over the last few years in the knowledge we needed to find a long-term home.
And so far in this financial year, over £12,500 has been raised through donations and a range of fundraising events, with £6,600 raised by local artists through their Grand Art Draw and Grand Art Auction. The level of support from our community has been amazing and just reinforces how important the shop is to so many people.
We estimate we will still need between £60,000 and £90,000 to complete the renovation and conversion work. And how quickly we will be able to do that work will to some extent depend on how successful we are in obtaining grants to put towards the work. If you would like to find out more, please do contact us at cfcommunityshop@gmail.com
**The equity grant is an investment in our community shares through Community Shares ICOF, branded as the Community Shares Fund.
Chapel Project on BBC TV
Watch the Spotlight article here:
Villagers rally to save shop and chapel in Cheriton Fitzpaine - BBC News
On the BBC News Website
Allied to the Spotlight article this evening, we're featured on the BBC News website here:
Villagers rally to save shop and chapel in Cheriton Fitzpaine - BBC News
19.09.25
The 2025 Annual Members Meeting of the Cheriton Fitzpaine Community Shop will be held on Tuesday 23rd September 2025 at 6.30pm at the Parish Hall, Cheriton Fitzpaine EX17 4BB.
Annual Members Meeting
The business to be conducted will include the acceptance of the Annual Accounts, reports from the Chair, Treasurer and Shop Manager, the Election of Officers, and General Business. We will also provide an update on Shop Site matters.
If you wish to raise any item under General Business, please send these to lyn.porter@icloud.com
Please note that this meeting may be attended by shareholders and invited Share Applicants (share application forms available in the village shop).
Look forward to seeing you there!
FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 2025
An opportunity to support our Project to purchase and renovate our redundant Methodist Chapel, to create a larger community shop and café and to establish a hub supporting the arts, hobbies and local history.
Grand Art Auction
Come along and share in the excitement of a real auction for quality art pieces.
The link to the auction catalogue is here, or it can be seen by scanning the QR code below.
See you all there!
7pm at the Village Hall
These can make ideal Christmas gifts, or buy one to enhance your own home!
28.09.25
Race Night fun, with a curry supper, chicken or veggie, cooked by the wonderful Ring of Bells.
Race Night - 17th October
Bar and betting with cash prizes. It’s fun, come and join us and raise funds for the shop project.
£10 ticket includes curry supper cooked by our wonderful Ring of Bells. What a bargain! Tickets without food £5.
Or scan the QR code below.
See you all there!
730pm at the Village Hall
Tickets available from the Community Shop or online:
28.09.25
*Crowdfunder will add a tip to your draw entry.
Grand Art Draw - November 2025
HOW IT WORKS
Each entry costs £10* and gives the purchaser a chance to win one of many unframed artworks generously donated for this draw.
Or scan the QR code below.
Thank you for your support!
Exhibition of donated art at the Methodist Chapel
For more info visit:
15/16th and 21/22nd November
Entries close at 4pm on 22nd November 2025.
Winners will be contacted after 23rd November.
CATALOGUE FOR THE DRAW
This can be found here
OR
Scan the QR code below
Good luck to all entrants!
05.08.25
Together, the amazing villagers of Cheriton Fitzpaine and beyond have come together to try to SAVE YOUR SHOP and preserve the iconic Chapel building.
We've Hit Our Minimum Target!
£102,420!
We told you that we needed to sell a minimum of £100,000 of shares in our attempt to raise £150,000 of investment in our Shop Chapel Project.
So far, you have invested
We are now applying to the Cooperative Booster Fund for an equity grant of up to £50,000. This will then enable us to buy the Chapel and carry out repair work to the building.
Just over 200 people have bought shares. We have decided to keep the share offer open in case others are now interested in supporting us.
Thank you all so much!
02.08.25
Wendy Handcock (Treasurer) and Mike Porter (Chair) presented an update on the chapel project at the Village Hall.
Public Meeting Re Chapel Project Update
Here are some notes summarising the event.
Many thanks to all those who attended.
19.06.25
A big thank you to the Black Dog Boogie Band for holding another fundraiser for us. Great music, lots of dancing and a total of £731.98 was raised for the Chapel project. Thanks to everyone who came along to join in the fun, and to those who helped out on the night.
Fundraiser of 14th June
19.06.25
Thrilled to let you know that we’ve won £1,000 from Easyfundraising’s May Donation Day. Totally unexpected, initially I thought this must have been a scam! But no, it’s genuine.
Not heard about Easyfundraising?
We’ve won £1,000 Donation from Easyfundraising!
We have 64 supporters who have signed up for Easyfundraising and nominated Cheriton Fitzpaine Community Shop as their cause to support, when shopping on-line. Easyfundraising partners with over 8000 brands who donate part of what you spend to the nominated cause. It won’t cost you anything extra. Over £325 has been raised for us through on-line shopping…
Community Share Offer Goes Live
10.05.25
On 10 May 2025, our Community Share Offer went live. And to mark the occasion, villagers gathered in Jack’s Acre. Thanks to County Councillor Steve Keable and District Councillor Polly Colthorpe for joining us.
14.06.25
Parish Hall
Tickets available from the shop.
Community Share Offer Goes Live
10.05.25
On 10 May 2025, our Community Share Offer went live. And to mark the occasion, villagers gathered in Jack’s Acre. Thanks to County Councillor Steve Keable and District Councillor Polly Colthorpe for joining us.
Quiz Night Raises £939.21
09.05.25
Parish Hall
A big thank you to Steve Belt for being our Quiz master for this popular event, which raised £939.21 for our Community Shop. Thanks also to those who donated raffle prizes, in particular The Ring O’Bells, Thornes Farm Shop and Little Devon Flowers. And thanks to everyone who took part in the quiz, or helped out on the night. It was a fun night.
Public Meetings
08.04.25
Parish Hall, 2pm and 7pm
18.03.25
Parish Hall, 7pm
Special Members Meeting for current shareholders.
Special Members Meeting
Barn Dance Fundraiser
15.03.25
Parish Hall, 630pm
News of Booster Funding
Note - This is not the very latest total. Click here for an up-to-date figure.
Recently the Cheriton Fitzpaine Community Shop was awarded a grant of £6,600 from the Community Shares Booster Fund to cover consultancy fees and the accreditation of the Community Share Offer. The committee is working hard to achieve their target of £145,000 to purchase the redundant Methodist Chapel and schoolroom next door to their life-limited cabin. The panel thought the application was strong and applauded the progress that had been made to date.They were impressed by the evident strength of community engagement and support.
This is borne out by the fact that many are prepared to give more than practical support to ensure that their thriving community shop will survive, and since November, an astounding £73,304 has been pledged in the form of shares and donations.
After three well-attended public meetings setting out detailed plans for the purchase and renovation of the Methodist buildings, a good percentage of the village population responded to the stark reality that the cabin currently housing the shop is coming to the end of its lease and will disappear in December 2027, with nowhere else to go.
18.02.25
‘A Village without a shop is just a place to live.’
We are registered under the Co- operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, with not-for-profit status, our purpose being to serve the community.
A Great Start!
We've made a great start! Now we need to keep up the momentum. The committee are striving to gain funding from a range of sources, but we urge everyone to support the project in every way they can going forward so we can secure the shop as an asset for our village for many years to come.
01.02.25
Community
Supporting a local shop and chapel transformation.
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