Enhancing well-being and social connectedness of rural communities through community shops

This article evaluates the impact of a community development initiative to establish a network of community shops across County Kilkenny, Ireland. Specifically, this research investigates the impact of this initiative on community well-being in two localities. Data were gathered through multi-site semi-structured interviews with community workers and members. Respondents self-reported a perceptible improvement in individual and community well-being. The primary drivers of this process are identified as social connectedness, intergenerational contacts and emotional support. This research is an important early contribution to a relatively small body of research literature on community shops, particularly in Ireland. Furthermore, as community shops are increasingly recognized as effective resources in community development strategies, it is now critical to conduct analytical and qualitative work on their impact from the perspective of community member's lived experience.