KIND-HEARTED youngsters are set for a charity bike event to raise money to help save their under-threat community shop.

The First Gosfield Scout Group will be pedaling as far as they can as they look to support the Gosfield Community Shop.

The store has operated from a portable building in the Gosfield playing field car park, after being set up five years ago.

Planning permission was granted by Braintree Council on the understanding the shop could operate from a permanent facility rather than from a temporary building.

The shop secured permission to build an extension onto the adjacent sports pavilion as its permanent home, which would cost about £150,000.

The council has refused to extend the consent of the temporary building and issued an enforcement to close order with effect from October, meaning time is running out to save the shop.

Now, the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts are taking on a sponsored bike ride around Gosfield Playing field, completing as many laps of the playing field as they can in an hour, from 5pm to 6pm on October 5.

The group will also be making a note of the combined distance travelled.

Assistant Beaver Scout leader Ben Stanbury said: “I reached out to one of the people who ran the shop, and we just wanted to raise some money to support it in any way we can.

“Myself, Steve Sudbury and David Olleir all came up with the bike ride plan in our regular planning meeting,

“We knew cycling has been popular in the past, so we thought why don’t we get everyone and see how many laps we can do in an hour.”

Mr Stanbury also spoke of the decision to raise for the shop, citing its importance in the village.

He said: “The future of the shop has been in in the air for so long, and the cohesion it has brought the community is so positive.

“It brings people together and is an integral part of the community, to have it taken away would be madness.”

So far, the fundraiser has already hit its target of £300, with the aim to raise as much as possible.

To donate, visit bit.ly/3AIoWDB.