43-strong community group take on Punch pub

A Punch leased pub in Lincolnshire has been taken on by 43 members of a local community committed to keeping their local pub running.

The Cherry Tree in Cherry Willingham has been leased to the group's four directors: Barbara Mawer, Mark Wilkins, Sam Pearson and Dave Cooper.

Since taking on the pub, they have introduced regular entertainment, hot food and refurbished the bar area.

Licensee Mawer had worked at the pub for over 20 years as a barmaid. "We wanted to give the pub a stable base so that it can be what it should be - a real community pub," she said. "There is a real sense of mutual benefit and a focus on the needs of the community, for example, the pub will host the local amateur dramatics group for free who then support the pub by drinking there regularly."

Punch Partnerships' managing director Roger Whiteside added: "Punch is committed to helping support community pubs and this is a great example of how a standard pub leasing arrangement can provide a flexible and affordable solution for a community group to run a successful pub business."

The Morning Advertiser revealed last year that Pub is the Hub, the group that advises pubs on how to diversify, has been working with major pubcos to create leases specifically aimed at communities that want to take on pubs.

Pub is the Hub director John Longden said: "We are saying to community groups that they don't always need to raise the capital to buy a pub when they could try taking on a suitable lease agreement.

"This is a great example of a big player offering flexibility so that communities can keep their pub open."