Dorset campaigners win first CAMRA Pub Saving Award

The Dorset pub faced sudden closure in late 2014, but reopened thanks to a community effort just 20 months later, with the campaign group now being recognised by CAMRA for its "fantastic" achievement in preserving the last local in the village.

CAMRA Pub Campaigns Group chairman Paul Ainsworth said: "We are losing pubs at a frightening rate of 21 a week. However, those rates of closure would be much higher without campaigners like the ‘Save the Drovers’ group, who are willing to pull out all the stops to save their local.

"We launched this new award to recognise and celebrate those fantastic achievements and hopefully inspire other communities across England to fight to save their pub from closure."

The group of locals pursued several means to viably raise funds to buy the pub while also blocking attempts by developers to buy the pub. This included both listing the pub as an asset of community value (ACV) and submitting 200 objections to the council over plans to change the use of the site.

Drive and determination

The group then put together a viable business plan and ran a series of fundraising events, eventually securing initial grant funding by working with the Plunkett Foundation, the national charity supporting communities that look to take on and run community-owned businesses.

Once they were able to raise funds towards the purchase and refurbishment of the pub, an army of volunteers of all ages got to work to bring the pub back to life, with the pub reopening on 9 July this year. It now offers five real ales on tap and locally sourced food.

Save The Drovers campaign secretary Sally Marlow said: "When the Drovers Inn, our only pub, suddenly closed, we faced losing the heart and soul of our village and local community. What happened after is a testament to the drive and determination of a dedicated group of people from all backgrounds working together for a common cause.

"We are a close-knit village and voted unanimously at a village meeting to fight to save the Drovers Inn. The project brought our whole community even closer together."