Hi everyone, it’s a new era in Thriplow Shop…

1. Helen has left us last week
2. Maureen has agreed to be our new manager
3. Sonya Cooper is joining us
4. We also have a new Treasurer
5. December was an excellent month for the shop
6. 150 Club winners
7. Well much has happened since mid December! Helen handed in her notice in mid December and has yesterday started her new job in a sixth form college. We made a collection for her and started off a big card, the card was completely filled by the time we gave it to her on Saturday and the collection amounted to almost £400. I know Helen would like me to pass on her thanks for the collection and all the kind wishes she has received, and we’d like to pass on our thanks to all who contributed too. Helen served for almost exactly 10 years and saw the shop turnover grow from £112,000 per year to £214,000 in that time. Her efforts were a big contributor to that growth. We wish her well.

8. We are lucky indeed that Maureen has agreed to step up to become our shop manager. She has lots of experience in village shops and will move to daytime shifts, Tuesday to Friday immediately. Unfortunately, she has a bug at the moment so may not be in for a few days.

9. We have recruited another member of staff, Sonya Cooper, who lives in Fowlmere and will be known to many of you already. Sonya starts officially in two weeks time but is using the meantime to get some training in. We welcome Sonya to our group, she also has experience working in village shops so we are sure that Sonya will enjoy working in the shop and be very competent. Please would you also welcome her and give her a little understanding while she finds her feet?
10. We have found another accountant in the village who has volunteered to put our annual accounts together. No, we have found two! Helen and David Aston are both qualified accountants and they will help us with the report and accounts that we will present at the AGM in summer. Helen will also join the committee as Treasurer. This is great news, and will save us many hundreds of pounds each year.

11. While we are on the money theme, December was a great month for shop turnover, with the takings coming in at 4% above the best ever previous December, and taking our annual receipts up to a new record!

12. 150 Club winners from November and December were Derek Pinner, Paul Thompson, Sue Whitmore, Annie Lander, Margaret Parkinson and Susan Armstrong. Congratulations to them all and if anyone would like to join this fundraiser by buying a number, we have a few still available, the cost for the remaining ten draws is now only £12.50! Just ask at the shop.

That’s all folks….

Kevin