BBCThe villagers are trying to reach a £250,000 target as part of a plan to take over and keep their only shop open.
The Hesket Newmarket Community Shop project in Cumbria has so far raised more than £210,000 since launching its fundraising appeal in June.
The current owner of the shop is retiring and the villagers would like to take it over as a community asset.
Citizens’ group chairwoman Philippa Groves said losing the store would be like “losing a vital lifeline”.
The group estimates the project would cost £500,000 and hopes to apply for funding for the other half from the Community Ownership Fund.
HESKET NEWMARKET SHOPWhen new elections were called in July, the future of the fund became unclear, the group said.
The organisation has secured the support of Markus Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, who said: “We cannot underestimate the importance of community facilities like this.”
He said he would “put pressure on the government to get the Community Ownership Fund up and running as soon as possible.”
Michelle Boundy, the group’s secretary, said: “There is a real sense of solidarity in the village.”
She added that they were “really confident” that their funding would be doubled.
Simon Hewitt, vice-chair of the group, said of the fundraising programme: “People can get involved according to their means and that is what a community project is all about.”
If the group is successful, one of the options being considered is to rent out one of the retail spaces to healthcare providers who would offer services such as vision tests.
Hesket Newmarket Community Shop As well as being an important local resource, the store also has a royal connection, having been visited by the then Prince Charles in 2004 and 2007.
Ms Groves said the future king had been offered some pieces of cake for free, but insisted on paying for them as a reward for passengers on an upcoming helicopter flight.
