Stones are stolen ‘on a daily basis’
GENERATIONS CAME together to celebrate the creation of a community hub and coffee shop in a North Yorkshire village pub.
New baby Anna Hirst, just seven weeks old, joined Carleton’s oldest married couple, Mick and Mary Hargreaves, who are aged 83 and 82, to officially announce the innovative hub at the Swan Inn open.
The new initiative, which has its own special entrance separate to the pub, provides a free-to-use welcoming space in the mornings seven days a week.
Alongside a coffee shop and meeting place, facilities include superfast wifi, computers, printers, local information and advice and a book exchange.
The scheme got off the ground with the help of a £3,000 grant from the Harrogate-based Pub is The Hub, which inspires licensees who run rural pubs to provide additional muchneeded community services and activities.
It was packed with villagers for yesterday’s launch which was also attended by pupils from Carleton Primary as the whole community came together.
Licensee Paul Selwood said: “This is taking pubs back to where they should be, a part of the community.”
Future ideas include plans for local care home residents to use the hub and French and Spanish classes. Steve Richardson, chairman of Carleton Community Umbrella who fundraise to create community assets, said: “This is not the finished product by a long way.”
Pub is The Hub’s regional advisor, Trisha Hughes, added the project was “visionary”.
Residents of a conservation area have spoken of their shock after pavements were ripped up by thieves in daylight.
The gang have targeted Yorkshire flagstones on streets in Roundhay, Moortown and Oakwood.
Residents claim the thefts have been happening on an almost daily basis, and that large sections of pavement are missing. West Yorkshire Police say they are investigating tghe offences.