Porlock Vale CIC

Our vision

To create a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable community hub in Porlock Vale that improves the well-being of residents, supports local businesses, and enhances the visitor experience, through meaningful partnerships and volunteer-led initiatives.

Image by Shaun G Davey via Exmoor Commons.

Goals

Expand volunteering opportunities to support our operations and create a strong sense of ownership among residents.
Develop a Community Information Hub to provide access to essential local services, transport information, and business support.
Support for vulnerable residents with initiatives such as the Living Better Directory and the Porlock Area Lift Service (PALS) for hospital and doctor visits.

Establish Porlock Vale Café at Vale Yard as a community gathering place, offering quality refreshments and a warm space.
Develop a bunkhouse to provide affordable accommodation, increasing visitor footfall and overnight stays.
Strengthen partnerships with local businesses, artisans, and food producers to boost the local economy.
Implement a membership and sponsorship model to ensure long-term sustainability.
Improve Porlock Visitor Information Services, making them more interactive and accessible.
Promote local events, businesses, and attractions to encourage longer visitor stays.
Develop collaborative marketing initiatives with Visit Exmoor and Visit Somerset.

Information Centre

Porlock Information Centre was founded in 1997 to promote Porlock as a tourist destination and to support the local tourism businesses. Since that date, we have evolved, adapted and developed our business model to become a central community hub to support our residential and business community throughout Porlock Vale.

Porlock has the most aged population in England and is located in the top most 30% deprived areas in the UK. We are considered to be in a remote, rural location with a lack of public transport and with the lowest social mobility. Around 30% of our residents live alone. Tourism is the main economic driver within the area.

Porlock Information Centre is seen by our community as a first point of contact for information, signposting for support or help and often as a familiar place to visit for human contact. Porlock Vale CIC, through the information centre, is a conduit to connect people and to improve the quality of life for residents. We arrange events to connect people and to reduce isolation, and collaborate with local organisations and statutory bodies to represent our residential and business community. We believe in strengthening our community from within.

An important aspect of supporting our tourism businesses is to continue promoting Porlock Vale and Exmoor as attractive destinations for visitors, particularly those interested in walking and seeking a break from daily routines. Porlock Vale CIC has a successful, strong digital presence and has excellent relationships with local TV, radio and printed media.

Porlock Information Centre opened its new premises at Vale Yard in November 2024, with the provision of a local craft makers Craft Centre, Ladies Pre-Loved Boutique and Hot Desk Office.

Vale Yard

In 2024, Porlock Vale CIC and Miles Tea and Coffee agreed to collaborate and join forces to create something very special for Porlock at their premises at The Vale Yard in Porlock.

Information centres across the UK have been under threat, especially in recent years. Porlock Information Centre, run by the Porlock Vale CIC is a self-funded, service led industry and has relied on a top up of grants to assist in the day-to-day running of the centre. These grants cease in 2025.

Porlock Vale CIC is now at a point where the information centre is financially unsustainable in the long term, despite efforts to generate income with new ideas and extra events. Porlock Vale CIC and the information centre would ultimately cease to exist and, without some creative thinking, its board of directors simply could not allow that to happen. The loss of the services that PVCIC offer to the community and businesses, as well as the visitors, would be incalculable.

In addition to relocating the Information and Craft Centre, Miles Tea and Coffee and Porlock Vale CIC are planning on a phased development of the premises at The Vale Yard and aim to open a Community Café plus a Miles Tea and Coffee interactive museum.

This will provide Porlock with a much-needed tourist destination experience and fully utilise the premises at The Vale Yard to provide a focal point for people to visit in the village. The opportunities to promote this partnership are extensive. The Community Café will offer services which are not currently offered elsewhere in the village and will be open at times that ensure that there is always a Café open in Porlock seven days a week.

This is a unique opportunity to create a long-term legacy for Miles Tea and Coffee and Porlock Vale CIC. The core values of both companies are to keep the Porlock Vale community at the heart of their businesses and to seek to create a visionary collaboration for the social and economic well-being of Porlock Vale and its residents.

The joint collaboration between Porlock Vale CIC and Miles Tea and Coffee will ensure that Porlock Vale CIC has a sustainable business model for the future, which is not reliant on seeking grant funding. Miles Tea and Coffee will see its community vision delivered to provide a Miles Tea experience and the joint venture will provide extensive marketing and PR opportunities for both companies and Porlock.

Miles Tea and Coffee has been established since 1888. In 1961, the late Derek Miles moved to Porlock and began packaging up blends of tea in his front room at The Anchorage, ready to sell for himself. The business starts to grow and DJ Miles & Co was born, eventually settling in Capes Yard, Porlock. In the 1980’s the Porlock site moved from Capes Yard a few yards down the road to The Vale Yard. The company purchased a coffee roaster and fresh coffee production began in Porlock, where coffee is still roasted today.