At the end of October some of the group went to events run by the Plunkett Foundation to get further insight in the issues of buying and running a community pub.
The Plunkett Foundation, based in Woodstock, supports many different types of Community Enterprises such as Pubs, Shops and other Co-Operative enterprises set up and flourish.
Our group received an invite to attend a 2 day event covering all aspects of Ownership structures, raising finance, methods of delivering ownership for the community, and then models for running the Pub successfully.
The group has benefited significantly from the content of the workshops, based on the experience of the Foundation, which has helped communities up and down the country own their own pub and trade successfully.
The group was also able to discuss our own plans with the Foundation and quiz existing community pub owners and tenants on ‘best practice’ so we learn from others who are trading successfully.
Those who attended have stated-
‘talked to those engaged in successful pub acquisition and gained useful insight into their experiences, both good and bad’.
‘found the sessions extremely useful, informative and full of ideas to make the Pub so much more for the community’
‘many tips and practical ideas on ensuring the community gets what it wants from the pub’
We will encompass any useful aspects in our continued business planning, and efforts in acquiring the pub for community use.
The Group, who as you know set up a Community Interest Company to further our ownership of the pub, remain committed to our aim of the purchase of the pub by the community OR the pub opening up again and being run on a sustainable commercial basis by others.
Once again thankyou for your interest and continued support.
We can’t do this without you
The Crays Pond Community Group