Village SOS is a major new initiative from the Big Lottery Fund and the BBC. They will be searching for six UK villages with a great enterprise idea to benefit their community. They are also looking for six enterprising individuals to act as Village Champions and help them achieve their ambitions. There will be a chance to show the nation, what villages can do with a community enterprise idea and what change it can achieve in rural areas.
To find out more, tune into the One Show on BBC One on 01, 02, 03 June at 7pm. If you miss the broadcasts, log on to www.bbc.co.uk/villagesos after 01 June.
PARWICH.ORG 
Ballygally in Northern Ireland with a population of approximately 1500 recently lost its only local shop and Post Office. Ballygally Community Development Association (BCDA) was formed in 2006 with two primary aims:
1. To address the lack of social community events and facilities within the village.
2. To seek the re-introduction of a community led retail outlet within Ballygally.
The local council has agreed to lease land in the public car park to build a two storey building with a community hall/facilities on the top floor and with a shop on the ground floor. The shop will be franchised out and the rent generated from the shop will make the community hall/facility self sufficient. Capital funding is badly needed!
Help us make our dream come true!
Best wishes to Ballygally in Northern Ireland. The BBC webpages on Village SOS are now on-line (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/villagesos/ and http://www.bbc.co.uk/villagesos/about/ ), also you can click here to watch the One Show on-line.
PARWICH.ORG would be interested to hear any possible ideas for enterprise projects here in our area.