Excitement mounts as share offer to buy popular shop in seaside town to launch

An exciting share offer, which will offer the community a chance to invest in a popular and much-loved shop in a Pembrokeshire seaside town, will launch next week.

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

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.

A team local residents is now taking Project Wholefoods forward following a successful public meeting earlier this year.

So far more than 250 people have already expressed interest in the forthcoming community share offer, which will be launched at Newport Memorial Hall on Thursday, July 11 from 6-8pm.

The launch (which can also be attended via Zoom) will be a great opportunity to hear about the exciting plans the Project Wholefoods team has for the shop, and to learn more about investing.

The business plan and share offer document in English and Welsh will be available online at www.projectwholefoods.cymru shortly before the launch. The share offer itself will go live at the launch, and it will be possible to invest amounts starting at £100.

“After a lot of hard work by our team of volunteers over the last six months, we are delighted that our community share offer for Wholefoods of Newport will go live at the launch on Thursday, July 11,” said Hugh Simpson-Wells, Project Wholefoods co director.

“It is very clear that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for safeguarding the shop’s future under community ownership, and we are very encouraged that so many residents and visitors have already indicated interest in investing.”

says Cris Tomos of PLANED, the charity supporting community share offers in West Wales, added: “Following the successful community purchase of Havards in Newport, which became the UK’s first community-owned hardware shop in 2022, it has been fantastic to see momentum building so quickly in support of a community purchase of Wholefoods of Newport.

“I have enjoyed working with the Project Wholefoods team on progressing the share offer, and I am looking forward very much to the launch.”

Refreshments – kindly provided by Suma Wholefoods, a long-standing and valued supplier to Wholefoods of Newport – will be available at the launch.

If you are unable to attend in person, or have any questions, please contact hello@projectwholefoods.cymru for a Zoom link.