JAMES Graven’s Budgens in Soham reached the final of the recent Parliamentary Best Small Shop competition.

The national competition, in which every MP nominates a store in his or her constituency, is in its second year and aims to promote the nation’s most unique small shops that go above and beyond in supporting their local community. Budgens was nominated by local MP Jim Paice.

Judges were impressed by James Graven’s community involvement and specifically the partnership it has with the local police, the nutritional and food budgeting advice offered via the local Children’s’ Centre and the recent ‘Baby Budgens’ initiative in which the store opened a mini-shop in Millbrook House supported accommodation living in Soham.

Jim Paice said: “The fact that this local business reached the finals of this competition shows the great lengths to which it has gone to support our local community. All small businesses need our support at the moment and it is great to have this opportunity to highlight the great local work being done by James Graven here in Soham.”

Although the shop did not win overall it was amongst the 10 finalists and fought off stiff competition from over 70 other nominated shops around the country.

“We are really delighted that we have been acknowledged as one of the top nine community stores in the country”, said James Graven’s Caroline Bosworth. “We spend a lot of time on our community work and our overall approach is to coach and mentor community groups in a sustainable manner”, she added.