The strength and perseverance of a community was on full show last week as a brand new village store opened its doors for business.

After more than three years of hard work, the Llangors Village shop was opened on Wednesday, November 17 by two very special residents.

Ryley Reed and Doreen Tranter were cheered by locals as they cut the ribbon and became the two first shoppers at the new store.

Nine-year-old Ryley suffered a stroke in January this year and has been bravely raising awareness of strokes among children, also fundraising over £3000 which will go towards playpark equipment in the village.

Doreen is one of the oldest residents of Llangors who lives very near to the shop.

The idea for a village shop in Llangors first came about over three years ago, and a management committee was then established to get the ball rolling.

Mark Kerr, chair of the committee, has been a part of the project since its inception.

Mark said: “Three and a half years ago we were sat together and thought we needed a shop.

“We’ve had to overcome big obstacles throughout this time including acquiring the premises, obtaining planning permission and of course Covid. None of us had ever done anything like this before so it was a new experience and we had to be perseverant.

The shop is full of all the things you would expect to find in a convenience store – fresh, chilled, frozen and packaged food, daily newspapers and lots of household items, all at reasonable prices. There is also a small coffee shop on the premises serving fresh coffee and tea, as well as some tasty snacks.

“This is a community venture and we are here to provide a valuable service,” said Mark.

“Any money that we do make will be ploughed back into the community. The shop is for the community - by the community. It’s owned by residents and run for their benefit.

“What has been achieved has exceeded even our wildest expectations. The wealth of talent we have in this small village is exceptional.

“Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this happen. The committee are immensely proud - they have all worked so hard to get to this point.”

Mark added that the committee would also like to sincerely thank the grant funders for the project; the National Lottery Community Fund, the Prince’s Countryside Fund, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Sustainable Development Fund, and the Brecon Rotary Commuity Chest.

There are currently two managers at the store and around 40 volunteers who are signed up to help at the shop.

Becs Bates, one of the managers at the shop, joined the team around six months ago.

The mum-of-two and keen horse rider was born in Brecon but grew up in Llangros, and her two children go to the nearby primary school.

“We’re really keen to foster a strong relationship between the school and the shop,” she said.

“There are plans for a handprint mural on the coffee shop wall to be decorated by the children.”

Speaking about the shop opening, she said: “Seeing the community actually inside the shop today is a bit surreal.

“I can’t thank the committee enough for their hard work and also the dedication of the volunteers here.

“Special mention must also go to Sandra Harris, our deputy manager, I can’t thank her enough and we couldn’t have done this without her.”

The current opening times at the shop are weekdays (except Tuesday - closed) from 8.30am to 5.30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am to 12.00pm.

The coffee shop is open on weekdays (except Tuesday – closed) from 8.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am to 12.00pm.