MENU
(Architect's drawing)
The CredShed Story
In 2016 Crediton Community Bookshop moved to its new home at the heart of the High Street. We also acquired a large, vacant building located directly behind the shop. Once part of Lee’s retail wine business, the building was constructed in a time before supermarkets to store pallets of wine. It was dilapidated and rough around the edges, with a lack of natural light and no heating, but offered over 50 square feet of space. With a little imagination and a massive amount of hard work the two-storey block shed had huge potential.
Community Consultation
As a community-led organisation, we asked our customers, friends of the bookshop, stakeholders and other community organisations what they wanted from the space. What needs, present and future, might be met by this vacant building set directly behind our bookshop on Crediton High Street?
We collected responses from customers, craftsmen, authors and illustrators, artists, freelancers and homeworkers. It became clear how many small businesses existed in the area and what the town needed was a co-working space for the small businesses, organisations and artistic community; a space to work, share ideas, offer services and display talent. What better place to encourage creativity than a shed connected to a bookshop? The idea for Credshed was born.
Plans
We enlisted the help of local architects New British Design to put our vision down on paper and plans emerged to transform the tired, old shed. A welcoming ground floor with multi-purpose social spaces, a kitchenette and accessible toilet.
Upstairs, internal walls would be demolished, giving an open-plan desk space with great WiFi, plenty of power points and big windows for lots of natural light!
With the help and support of many local businesses, work has progressed rapidly and the shed refurbishment is becoming a reality. We're very proud to see this stage of the project close to completion and would not be at this stage without the talented work of architect Ben Huggins, builders Adam & Ben Cory, carpenter Jack Innis, Eakers, RGB, Totterdell’s electricians and Otto, the dog, for overseeing it all!
Our CredShed mission is clear: to create a community hub and affordable workspace that will inspire creativity, team work and friendship.
Crucial in converting the dream into reality has been practical and financial assistance from Devon County Council, the Coastal Recycling Community Fund with the aim to foster thriving, rural communities and small businesses. We have also had incredible financial and in-kind support from supporters, customers and friends of the bookshop.
This project would not have made it past go without the vision and many long days of CCB manager, Dee Lalljee, the amazing team at CCB, the CredShed advisory group, management board, customers and shareholders. We thank you!
If you would like to follow the project, please sign up to our newsletter. To enquire about the space, register interest at [email protected]
Final stages
Fundraising for the final stage is now underway for a reading room which will offer access through the back of the shop, create a hub for our developing outreach work and provide disabled access to the Credshed facilities.
Email us if you want to know more about getting involved and supporting this project!
