The running of a Lincolnshire pub has been taken on by no less than 43 members of a local community who are committed to keeping their local alive and kicking.
Leading pub company Punch Partnerships has leased the Cherry Tree in Cherry Willingham to the group, demonstrating their flexibility and commitment to help support community run pubs.
The Cherry Tree Consortium, consisting of a range of local people from the village have taken an active role in running their community’s pub, ensuring that their local continues to deliver what they are looking for.
Four directors have taken on a lease agreement with Punch whilst the members of the Consortium have each made a nominal contribution and effectively become shareholders and stakeholders in the pub business.
The directors actively involve the village consortium at regular committee meetings and general meetings to seek fresh ideas and events that the community would like to see at the pub.
Licensee Barbara Mawer, who previously worked at the pub for over 20 years as a barmaid, is delighted with this new community approach to running the pub.
Barbara comments: “We wanted to give the pub a stable base so that it can be what it should be – a real community pub. There is a real sense of mutual benefit and a focus on the needs of the community, for example, the pub will host the local amateur dramatics group for free who then support the pub by drinking there regularly. Punch has been keen to work with us and to give the pub a strong future in the community.”
Since taking on the pub, Barbara and the other directors, Mark Wilkins, 54, Sam Pearson 32 and Dave Cooper, 67 have introduced regular entertainment, hot food and refurbished the bar area.
Punch Partnerships’ managing director Roger Whiteside said: “Punch is committed to helping support community pubs and this is a great example of how a standard pub leasing arrangement can provide a flexible and affordable solution for a community group to run a successful pub business, backed up by the wide range of ongoing support and training they will receive from Punch.”
Pub is the Hub, a not for profit group that encourages pub owners, licensees, and local communities to work together to retain and locate services within the pub for the good of the community, support and encourage this approach.
John Longden, campaign advisor to Pub is the Hub said: “We are saying to community groups that they don’t always need to raise the capital to buy a pub when they could try taking on a suitable lease agreement such as this one with Punch. This is a great example of a big player offering flexibility so that communities can keep their pub open. It also gives the local residents a vested interest in actively supporting their local pub and the benefits of the ongoing support and advice to help ensure the pub is sustainable in the long term.”