Community pubs numbers have grown dramatically in recent years, fuelled by an outbreak of people power.

There has been a 62.6% jump in community-owned pubs over the past five years, according to figures from the trade body Co-operatives UK, and 15.9% since 2022.

Communities have joined forces to save 387 businesses from closure in 2023, compared with 238 in 2019.

The number of people who have backed the schemes over that period has doubled to just over 69,500, generating more than £58.9 million in turnover. 

To date £210 million has been invested by 130,000 people in 540 community businesses and organisations through a total of 710 share offers.

The increased distribution of ownership is clear, with over 100% more people enjoying a stake and say in the future of their local pub from 2019 to 2023 (an increase in memberships from 34,562 to 69,535).   

The Star of Greenwich, in the heart of London’s East Greenwich, was established in the early nineteenth century but closed in 2021.

Having been designated by the local authority as an asset of community value,  local resident James Peet said, ”A couple of us regulars saw the notice and went about getting a moratorium on the sale of pub.” 

The team garnered local support, including their MP and councillors, and were able to prove to the freeholder the value of preserving the pub.

With a successful crowd-funding campaign that raised more than double their original target, the team  re-opened the pub in April 2023 . 

James and the team are now planning a community share offer to take the pub into community ownership. 

James said: “Other organisations have to generate profit. We can make decisions that aren’t profit driven, for example we can give away the hire of the rooms to groups and charities for free.

“It means the way the pub is run is driven by what people want, from the drinks we serve to the activities we host and what we do with the rooms. We’re driven by what people suggest. And eventually we will be more democratically run, when there’s an ownership element for the community too.”

 

 

 

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