A 400-year-old village inn that had been closed since September 2016 has become the seventh co-operative pub in a cluster of community ownership in the counties of Essex and Suffolk. On 29 June 2017 The Kings Head at Pebmarsh near Halstead was bought by a community benefit society of 320 members.

There are now over 50 co-operative pubs in England and Wales with a notable cluster in Essex and Suffolk. There are also over 20 community-owned village shops within 50 miles of the Kings Head.

Pebmarsh is a small village (population 570) in a rural area that includes several smaller hamlets. The Kings Head is the only pub and there was dismay when it was closed and put up for sale by the private owners who had retired following ill health. A number of local people formed the Friends of the Kings Head group with the aim of re-opening it as a community-owned pub.

The group received specialist advice and finance from the More Than A Pub programme, which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This two-year programme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by the Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

The community share issue for the Kings Head, which allowed people to invest as little as £50 (or as much as £20,000), raised over £275,00. With the grant from More Than A Pub, and the loan from Co-operative & Community Finance, this was enough to proceed with the purchase of the pub which was completed on 29 June 2017. The Kings Head will re-open after some essential repairs have been carried out and there will be an opening event over the August public holiday weekend.

Following a comprehensive survey of the local community wishes and requirements, there are plans for the Kings Head to include a café and a shop selling essential items. It will also offer a range of drop-in services such as reading, craft and computer clubs in addition to hosting outreach services including a library bus and blood donation bus.

John Flack, Chairman of Pebmarsh Community Pub Limited, said: “We have realised our dream of purchasing the Kings Head on behalf of the community, with more than 320 shareholders who really care about saving this prized community asset. Most of our shareholders are local but we have also attracted investment from as far as USA, Australia and New Zealand, from people who remembered the pub from their time in the village and wanted to help. I am astonished by the support we have had.”

Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager of Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “There has been a surge of interest in the community ownership of pubs and shops and the Kings Head at Pebmarsh is a very good example. There’s a strong group of people actively involved and they have very good support in the local community. I have been really impressed by the speed and determination of all those involved.”

A rare example of an ungentrified local in the affluent Royal Borough of Windsor has become the 50th co-operative pub in the UK. On 26 June 2017, the Craufurd Arms in Maidenhead, a pub known for its good beer, darts teams, and sports TV, was bought by a community benefit society of 226 members.

The residents of this densely populated part of Theresa May’s constituency had become alarmed in recent years by the closure and redevelopment of local pubs. In 2015 they succeeded in having the Craufurd Arms listed as an Asset of Community Value. So in August 2016 when the owner, the Wellington Pub Company, announced that it wished to dispose of the property, local people acted quickly. They formed an action group, conducted a local survey and decided to set up a community benefit society to buy the pub.

The group received specialist advice and finance from the More Than A Pub programme, which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This two-year programme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by the Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

The community share issue for the Craufurd Arms opened in February 2017 and soon raised £310,000 from 226 people investing sums between £250 and £25,000. With the grant from More Than A Pub, and the loan from Co-operative & Community Finance, this was enough to proceed with the purchase of the pub.

The transfer of ownership was accomplished without any interruption to the business of serving customers. The child-friendly, dog-friendly pub has two crib teams and two darts teams and shows a wide range of sports on TV. It also hosts regular quiz nights and live music gigs.

There are ambitious plans to develop the Craufurd Arms into a community hub with services and facilities beyond the traditional role of a local pub. These include working with local charities and groups, for example working with the Autism Group to provide an after school club for young adults on the autistic spectrum.

There will be a ‘Grand Opening Weekend’ to celebrate the new community ownership from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd July during the Maidenhead Festival.

Mark Newcombe, Chairman of the Craufurd Arms Society Limited, said: “Although this is an urban setting, the Craufurd feels like a village local. There used to be six pubs in this part of Maidenhead and now this is the only one. We’ve done this to safeguard the future of the community. The pub has always been popular but it suffered from under investment. Under community ownership we will be investing the surplus in improving the pub. And with the support of well over 200 members I’m sure it is going to be more popular than ever.”

He added: “We are very excited and proud to be the 50th co-operative pub in the UK and are grateful for the support and advice we received from the Plunkett Foundation, I am sure without them we would not have been able to achieve our dream of bringing our pint-sized pub into community ownership.”

Ian Rothwell, Investment Manager of Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “It is wonderful that there are now 50 co-operative pubs in England and Wales, and there will soon be more. Co-operative & Community Finance has been working with partner organisations and local communities in recent years to help more local people own their local pubs, shops and other facilities. Community ownership offers a sustainable future for many local pubs.”

James Alcock, General Manager at Plunkett Foundation, said: “We are delighted that The Craufurd Arms is set to become the 50th Co-operative Pub trading in the UK. Through the support offered via the ‘More Than A Pub’ programme the Craufurd Arms Society Ltd. have developed a sustainable business case while shaping plans for innovative additional services which will deliver a wide impact to their local community. They are a proud addition to this rapidly expanding sector and I wish them every success for the future.”

Jenny Sansom, who leads the More Than a Pub Programme at Power To Change, said: “This is a wonderful milestone, reached through the hard work of communities all over England. It is about keeping pubs alive, along with all the great services that the pubs will now host.”

A charming 200-year-old red brick building on a village green in rural Kent has become the latest co-operative pub in England. On 22 June 2017 The Harrow in Stockbury near Sittingbourne was bought from the brewery by a community benefit society of nearly 150 members.

The people of Stockbury moved quickly when they learned last September that Shepherd Neame brewery intended to sell the only pub in the village. They succeeded in having The Harrow listed as an Asset of Community Value. They held a public meeting, conducted a local survey and prepared a social impact report. They then set about the complex tasks of setting up a community benefit society, business planning and raising finance.

The group received specialist advice and finance from the More Than A Pub programme, which was set up in 2016 to support community ownership of pubs in England. This two-year programme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Power to Change, and is delivered by the Plunkett Foundation. Co-operative & Community Finance arranges loan finance for groups that have successfully attracted local investment, usually in the form of community shares.

The community share issue for The Harrow opened in March 2017 and soon raised £184,000 from 142 people investing sums between £200 and £20,000. With the grant from More Than A Pub, the loan from Co-operative & Community Finance, and some private loans this was enough to proceed with the purchase and refurbishment of the pub.

The refurbishment will include a new kitchen, new furniture, new flooring, rewiring and redecoration. The work will start in July and should be completed within a month, during which the pub will stay open as much as possible. The new co-operative owners are advertising for a tenant to run The Harrow who they hope will be installed by the time the refurbishment is complete.

Alastair Crawford, Treasurer of the community benefit society that has bought The Harrow, said: “We don’t like to be critical but the pub had become very run down in recent years. The local community has got fully involved in the plans to refurbish it, and some 50 volunteers are providing practical help. We believe that run as a free house and with the active support of local people The Harrow will be a sustainable venture and a hub of the community.”

Tim Coomer, Business Development Manager of Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “We are very pleased to arrange finance for another co-operative pub. Working with partners and local communities to support community ownership is one of our key priorities.”