A community group has been awarded almost £200,000 to save their village pub.
The Old Horn Community Pub Society has been approved for the money from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund as it bids to buy the pub in Spennithorne.
The Old Horn Inn shut in September last year and has been put up for sale.
The society received confirmation of the grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities this week.
The letter stated: “We’re delighted to tell you that your application for funding was successful, and to approve in principle the award of a COF grant of £180,000 capital funding and £19,740 revenue funding to the Old Horn Community Pub to help save your treasured community asset and support the ambitions of your community.”
The society has raised £180,000 with a community share offer, meaning it has the £360,000 needed to purchase and refurbish the pub.
The additional £19,740 will be used to cover costs such as legal and accountancy fees, insurance and a structural survey.
The society’s management committee said in a message to supporters that it would be meeting with the COF team to finalise the grant agreement.
The group added: “We still have a way to go to get our pub back up and running and we will need many volunteers to get involved in making the Old Horn Inn a real welcoming community hub
“For now though, a huge thank you from the OHCPS committee to all our investors, and supporters from all over the country.
“We are another huge step along the road to bringing the Old Horn Inn into community ownership.
“This is a fantastic achievement and shows just what can be achieved when a community joins together in a common cause.”
