AN award-winning village book store is hoping to encourage residents to shop local and help support good causes.
Since opening ten years ago The Village Bookshop, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, has given more than £10,000 to support local causes.
Set up as a charitable trust by the village’s former vicar Chris Elliot and his wife Micky, and run by an army of volunteers, the store has always been popular with visitors and walkers.
However, as with many retail shops, the bookstore has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The shop, which reopened when restrictions were relaxed, has had to reduce opening times to afternoons as not all volunteers have been able to return to help out. Trustee Pauline Black said: “We haven’t got as many volunteers as normal.
“There are usually around 20, but some of them still don’t feel comfortable coming back just yet, so we’re only open during the afternoons. We’ve also not been accepting any book donations simply because we have to quarantine them for 72 hours and we don’t have the space at the moment due to coronavirus.”
However, the store is still well-stocked with a variety of new and used books available for sale, from antiquarian tomes to a new range of children’s tales as well as a number of volumes from local authors.
Mrs Black added: “A lot of our customers are visitors but they have tailed off now for the season and we’re hoping to encourage locals to pop in and support us.
“We have decided we will give out money before the end of the year and if any group wishes to apply, they should get in touch.”
