Rowde Community Shop has been shortlisted in a national competition.

It is a finalist in the better services and better communities category of the Plunkett Foundation’s rural community ownership awards.

The awards were launched last year with the aim of commending committed teams of people who work together to deliver vital services to their community.

The shop opened in November 2009 and manager Veronica Seedhouse said: “It's terrific for our shop to make the shortlist of this national competition. Plunkett are the absolute experts in this field and their decision to place us in the final three is an honour in itself.

“Competition in the final is very stiff and we have some worthy opponents, but it just shows how everyone in our community has pulled together to make us the success we are.”