A group of residents in Kinnerley, a village near to Pant, is looking to buy their local pub – the Cross Keys – to save it for the community.
The Cross Keys Community Society is urging locals and others in the surrounding area interested in saving the pub to pledge an investment in the society so that it can purchase the building, refurbish it and reopen it as a community-owned pub.
A meeting held recently heard that £75,000 has already been pledged towards a target of over £200,000 for the purchase of the freehold of the property. The society has a deadline of only a few weeks to find out if it can secure enough pledges to raise the purchase price.
The pub will also require refurbishment and the society has identified a number of funding opportunities to secure cash for repairs, extensions and updating the property.
According to the society the plans for the Cross Keys in Kinnerley are for it to become a focal point for the community through the provision of enjoyable facilities and services including accommodation and a community room with a café.
The community has also suggested a number of other ideas for the future of the pub as a community hub.
The Cross Keys Community Society points out that any investment by individuals or local businesses in the society should primarily be seen as a social investment, although their aim is to run the pub at a profit, sufficient to give shareholders a return on their investment.
The minimum investment in the society is £50 per member and the society is also accepting donations to help buy the pub.
If you would like to find out how you can help support for the Cross Keys in Kinnerley, you can find out more on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Cross.Keys.C.S or by emailing crosskeyscommunitysoceity@gmail.com.
Update – 15 March 2016
In an email sent out on behalf of the committee which was seeking to buy the pub for the community it was stated that: “Unfortunately, the total pledged excluding that from Les Jones himself amounted to less than £60,000. This is well short of the £300,000 that we would need to purchase the pub…”
The email continues: “There is no realistic prospect of significant further pledges.” As a result: “the committee has made the decision that the community cannot be involved in the renovation or running of the pub…”
It goes on to say: “Having put in some 2000 hours of voluntary time over the past 18 months the committee is obviously very disappointed with this position. However we have successfully prevented development of the pub and it is now owned by a local resident who has its best interests at heart.”
Update – 15 March 2016
In an email sent out on behalf of the committee which was seeking to buy the pub for the community it was stated that: “Unfortunately, the total pledged excluding that from Les Jones himself amounted to less than £60,000. This is well short of the £300,000 that we would need to purchase the pub…”
The email continues: “There is no realistic prospect of significant further pledges.” As a result: “the committee has made the decision that the community cannot be involved in the renovation or running of the pub…”
It goes on to say: “Having put in some 2000 hours of voluntary time over the past 18 months the committee is obviously very disappointed with this position. However we have successfully prevented development of the pub and it is now owned by a local resident who has its best interests at heart.”