Dennington's general store to get new owners, but expanding the community hub on the cards

In September, there was a call to start a community co-op, much like what Wangoom did 17 years ago to save its general store - an idea that attracted strong community support.

But instead, the business will be sold after new buyers put their hand up to take over the site.

New owners Gerard and Kaoru O'Brien want to retain the community focus and feel of the general store, all while creating supported employment and extra accommodation for those with a disability.

The couple, who are managers of Go Care Support Services, will relocate back to Warrnambool when they take over the business in mid-December.

"We're always looking at expanding our residential care," Mr O'Brien said.

"We do disability support. We're looking after 30 participants in Warrnambool and 20 employees.

"We've got two residential houses at the moment and we are looking at expanding that. We also offer respite."

The general store comes with accommodation, but the couple hope to use the back of the block to build more accommodation that will provide supported living for three or four young people.

The couple also plan to relocate the administration of their business back to Warrnambool as part of the move.

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Mr O'Brien said the support shown by the community for the co-op idea showed there was a demand for the community service that the general store provided to continue.

He said it gave them great insight into the way they could keep the business while expanding it to include an outdoor cafe as a way of offering supported employment to their clients.

"It just seemed to be a great opportunity," Mr O'Brien said.

"There is quiet a demand for supported employment places," Mrs O'Brien said.

She said when they heardthe proposed co-op really wanted to keep the community value, it changed their motivation.

"We wanted to expand on that and one of the ways was to expand into an outdoor cafe where people could sit," she said.

After seeing a CWA knitting group use a cafe in Gippsland for its meeting place, she said she wanted to see something similar happen at the Dennington general store for community groups.

They also plan to build accessible toilets on site so people don't have to walk a few hundred metres down the road to the park.

Because the store is also an Australia Post hub, Mr O'Brien said they also planned to move the post boxes so they were more accessible to customers.

They also plan to have longer trading hours.

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