More than 150 people attended a meeting to hear about a west Suffolk community’s campaign to save its popular village pub.
Villagers in Chedburgh, near Bury St Edmunds, met on Friday, June 8, to listen to plans over the future of the The Marquis Cornwallis pub.
The pub closed its doors in October last year and the Chedburgh Marquis Community Hub (CMCH) has now been formed with the aim of turning The Marquis into a successful community pub alongside a café and shop.
The campaign has been awarded support in the form of a three-year business programme, led by the Plunkett Foundation with support from a variety of other partners, which will see a £2,500 bursary and a package of specialist advice.
Emma Clark, from the CMCH, said: “The main purpose of the meeting was to inform those present of the work that had been done so far, and also explain how the pub could be used as a community hub.
“Those present were invited to complete pledge forms indicating how many community shares they would be prepared to purchase if a successful bid was made to buy the pub. At present we have had over 100 pledges.”
Tinks Tipsy Tavern – a pop-up pub which is currently touring the country – visited Chedburgh on June 8 and another pop-up event is planned for July, Mrs Clark added.
“We are attending Chedburgh Village Fete on Saturday, June 23, to encourage more pledges,” she said.
“We are also planning another pop up pub event in mid to late July to launch the share offer.”
James Alcock, executive director at the Plunkett Foundation, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to support Chedburgh Marquis Community Hub who are working hard to make sure their community can benefit from everything that having a thriving local pub brings.
“Pubs that are owned and run by the community are so much more than a place to buy a drink.
“They provide important social spaces and services for local people, and are central to their community’s sense of place and identity.”
For more information about the campaign, visit www.savethemarquis.co.uk or the campaign’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SavetheMarquis
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