A local community in Herefordshire have joined together to breathe new life into the last remaining pub in their village.
The Old Boot (formerly The Wellington) in Wellington has been closed since 2019 and is currently on the market. The local community hope to fund the purchase of the freehold and upgrades to the interior and exterior by selling shares. A Community Benefit Society – The Community Wellington Inn (Herefordshire) Ltd (CWIHL) aims to raise at least ÂŁ250,000 through the sale of shares, with the purchase price ranging from ÂŁ50 for one share up to a maximum investment pe person or organisation of ÂŁ40,000. The share issue commenced on Saturday 10th July.
The intention is that the pub building itself will be owned by the shareholders and run as a pub, providing good quality food and local meeting space. The CWIHL plan to appoint an experienced tenant who can develop a thriving business serving the needs of the local community.
David Wood, Chairman of the Community Benefit Society said that local residents were concerned that the last remaining pub in the village could be lost and voted unanimously to act and try to save the pub at a recent community meeting.
He said, “It is an exciting opportunity for the residents of Wellington and the surrounding areas. This is the last remaining pub for villagers to easily walk to and there are neighbouring villages that also don’t currently have a local pub. It used to be a very successful destination venue, but sadly over the years it hasn’t been as popular and eventually closed. As a village we have decided to take action to restore it to its former glory to prevent it disappearing from the map for good. CAMRA tell us that pubs are closing at an incredibly fast rate. However, we are not aware of any Community Pubs that haven’t been successful so far and are hugely optimistic for the pubs future”.
The CWIHL launched the Share Issue on 10th July and it will run until the beginning of September. To buy shares or to find out more please visit www.wellingtonpub.org and the group Facebook page, Wellington Community Pub, Herefordshire or to contact the Benefit Society email info@wellingtonpub.org
