Hosts unite to save high profile campaigner
Licensees across the country are clubbing together to raise money to stop high profile licensee Inez Ward from going bankrupt.
Ward, Enterprise lessee at Mavericks in Newquay, Cornwall, owes the pubco almost £11,000 in costs after a failed bid to take out an interim injunction against the pubco in May last year (Enterprise host fails in injunction bid).
Ward, who suffered a second heart attack in two years just last week, filed for an interim injunction against Enterprise under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 but the Judge dismissed the claim. She now faces bankruptcy after receiving a statutory demand for payment.
She recently organised the pubco protest at Enterprise and Punch headquarters, through her Justice for Licensees group, and runs the Save the Great British Pub campaign, which has clocked up over 130,000 members on Facebook.
Ward also owes Enterprise around £6,000 in back rent — she has twice won forfeiture hearings against the pubco to get extra time in paying off rent arrears.
"People have already pledged £3,000 in the first weekend," said Fair Pint steering group member Mark Dodds, who started the campaign to raise money for Ward on the Morning Advertiser forum. "She raised the profile of the licensee's struggle against the pubco and has achieved more on her own than anyone ever thought possible.
"She is driven by care of others and has worked so hard for tenants. It is time we thanked her for her hard work and helped her in return. If every member of the Save the Great British Pub campaign group gave just £1, then we would have more than enough."
Ward said she was "torn" and "embarrassed" by the offer. "I was in tears when I found out," she said. "It blew me away that people would do this for me.
"I am really torn by the offer. If I want to stay in my pub, then I have no choice but to accept the very generous offer but I would also rather the money was used to help every tenant.
"I chose to take this action with full knowledge of the possible outcome."
