THE team behind Dartmouth's Winnie-the-Pooh bookshop has given itself a £50,000 target with the launch of a share issue in the community business – at a crucial stage in its future.

With the cash they hope to:

l Improve or extend the premises in Higher Street or move into a bigger shop.

l Increase the stock of books.

l Develop an outreach and training programme.

Investors have got until Friday, March 16, to buy the £20 shares in the new bookshop business with its links to Winnie-the-Pooh author AA Milne.

And Dartmouth Community Bookshop chairman Tony Fyson added: 'If by that date the sum raised is significantly less than the target amount, the committee will consult those who have invested with a view to preparing a scaled- down development plan.'

Mr Fyson said supporters have already been snapping up the £20 shares but he added: 'But as our advisers, the Plunkett Foundation, point out, the sale of single membership shares does not normally achieve the larger sums needed either to first establish the project or to take significant decisions about a project's further progress.

'We are rapidly approaching such a key moment in our development. On March 31, our initial six-month tenure of 12 Higher Street ends, so we have to decide some crucial matters regarding our premises and the future scale of our services to the community.'

The new community bookshop opened at the beginning of December just two months after the closure of the Harbour Bookshop due to rising rents and on-line competition.

The original Harbour Bookshop was opened 60 years ago by Christopher Milne – the basis for his father's Christopher Robin character in the Pooh stories.

A community bookshop team – which grew out of the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society – managed to buy up the fittings from the Harbour Bookshop in Fairfax Place following its closure and they are installed in the Higher Street premises which are on loan from the Dartmouth Trust.

Mr Fyson revealed the new bookshop was opened thanks to donations and loans – one of £13,000. The latest figures show that the bookshop is expected to cost some £81,000 to run in its first year – covered by donations and anticipated book sales of £75,000.

Mr Fyson added: 'From the feedback we have received so far it seems that increasing our book stock levels would greatly improve the 'browsing' experience and choice for our customers. With improved premises and more retail space, we should significantly raise our turnover and consequently our trading surplus.

'That in turn could be applied to community services in addition to our primary purpose which is to maintain the opportunity to handle, order and buy new books in Dartmouth.

'Instigating outreach services associated with books and literacy to the wider community, including provision of work experience and training in the shop, would be an important enhancement of our community offer.'

Details about the share issue and forms can be found at the Higher Street shop.