Locals buy own pub
WHEN a group of regulars at a pub in Stockport heard it was due to close they decided to do something about it – so they bought it themselves.
The sale of the Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge to a community group went through earlier this month, making it one of only around 50 pubs in the whole country to have been taken over by the community.
Rick Clarke, chairman of the group, said: “We found out in May last year that Robinsons Brewery were planning to close it, so we founded a ‘friends of’ group, which was then formalised to become a community benefit society.”
The group first registered the pub, which opened in 1824 and is known locally as ‘the Thumb’, as an asset of community value so that it could not be sold to a developer straight away, in order to buy themselves some time to negotiate with Robinsons.
Having agreed on a price they set about fundraising and through crowdfunding they managed to raise an incredible £298,100.
Rick said: “That was the amount we had worked out we needed to buy the pub and get it ready. It was a great feeling when the sale went through.
“Now it’s the start of the really hard work.”
The pub closed its doors in January and the group hope to have it up and running again in time for Christmas, with an anticipated opening date of December 9.
“Most of the other pubs that have done this have been in rural areas where they are the only one,” Rick added. “We felt our pub was so special and loved that we did not want to see it closed.
“There are about 200 of us in the community benefit society and we are all the owners.”
Rick says the majority of the profits the pub makes will be pumped back into community projects and the group are hoping to open as a cafe during the day and provide a meeting space for community organisations.
To find out more visit thenorthumberlandarms. com or facebook.com/ thumbcommunitypub.