by Maurice Chesworth

Last updated 10:19, Friday, 08 August 2008

Four hundred residents were celebrating this week after their general store was restored – in the village pub.

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Brewers Frederic Robinson were the driving force behind the move that sees the Queens Head at Tirril selling everything from postage stamps to fresh groceries.

Claire Johnston, who took on the pub’s tenancy in June, said: “With a small population it may not have been viable for Tirril to support a shop until now. But, with the Queens Head diversifying to integrate a convenience store the two businesses work very well together.

“For our local customers and the valuable tourist trade in the area the initiative should add a new vibrancy to Tirril, secure the future of the pub and provide a much needed new service,”

The brewery worked closely with Pub is the Hub, the rural regeneration group to launch the new shop, while funding was came from Cumbria Rural Infrastructure Support Programme (CRISP), a rural support programme financed by Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Vision.

CRISP was launched to provide funding to community services in rural Cumbria and has supported over 40 rural projects, protecting services and creating numerous jobs in rural Cumbria.

Brewery director William Robinson said: “This is the second project of its type that we have completed this year and another good example of how rural pubs can increase their community value.”

CRISP is a £865,000 programme that has so far given:

• £25,000 towards opening a community nursery in Warcop;

• £15,000 to establish five community websites containing news, events, a directory and marketplace around Alston;

• £25,000 to create a new job in Brampton to improve community health;

• £25,000 towards the purchase of a new bus for the Fellrunner, providing transport to villages in the Eden Valley;

• £20,000 to help a community group in Nenthead buy and run the only village shop.

CRISP has also worked with Pub is the Hub to look at the potential development of rural services based within pubs, and has supported the development of four new shop outlets in village pubs around Cumbria.