The Farmers Arms
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Village rallies around pop-up bar fundraiser

Despite some people being on holiday, the 4 September pop-up bar at the Wellington Heath Memorial Village Hall was well-attended and an unqualified success. Thank you to everyone who attended and to those who worked so hard to put on the marvellous event.

A total of £750 was raised through the bar and raffle, contributing to the campaign for the community buy-out of The Farmers Arms. “It was a great night with lots of socialising and laughter. It reminded us of just what we’re missing,” said Jackie Skowron, who led the organisation of the pop-up fundraiser. “They were a thirsty lot too and enjoyed the variety of local beer that we had available, and by the end of the night we only had lager, cider, and some wine left!”

David White, the recently appointed Chairman of the campaign Steering Group, updated attendees on the latest developments. He outlined the ambition to raise £495,000 to buy the pub, pay legal fees, and fund some refurbishment. He also invited those in the hall to take part in an anonymous poll to gauge the community’s appetite for taking the pub into community ownership. Speaking after the event, David said, “This was a fantastic start, and the responses we’ve had were very encouraging, representing just over 20% of households in the village. We’re now emailing every house on the village email list to get a more complete picture before reporting back.”

Engaging with Plunkett
With community support, the goal is to open the pub as early as next summer.
“We expect the results of a valuation survey we commissioned any day now, and we have a lot of work to do over the winter months before we can submit a formal bid. While we’ll explore available grants and donations, we’re under no illusion that the lion’s share of the funding must come from local sources,” said Andy Sims, Treasurer of the campaign group. As a next step, David said the campaign team would engage with Plunkett, the UK’s leading charity, which provides practical advice to groups seeking to buy their local pub for the benefit of their community.

David added: “Plunkett has advised many villages on how to buy and run their pubs successfully. With their guidance and your support, I think we can revitalise The Farmers Arms, making it bigger and better than ever, creating a social hub we can all be proud of and a viable business that will support local producers and enrich the life of the whole community.”