Open meeting draws over 100

It was wonderful to see so many of you at The White Horse Open Meeting last month. As well as an opportunity to update you with the latest developments and answer your questions, we were able to thank you again for your vital support in making the purchase of the pub possible. Your feedback at the meeting was also immensely valuable, and together we covered a wide range of topics including disabled access, tenancy and business models, the longer-term role of our volunteers, and the best use of the building and garden for the benefit of the community.

The volunteer-run pop-up pub/cafe has had a very busy first few weekends of operation. The profit that Claire and the team have generated will be used towards the upcoming repair and refurbishment programme, the essential works of which include re-equipping the kitchen, improving the function of the cellar, and extensive repairs to the roof and fabric of the building.

We are planning to operate the pop-up pub/cafe until Christmas, with repairs and refurbishments commencing in 2024. Once we have achieved our Community Shares Standard Mark we will look to relaunch our share offer to help raise funds for the works, and press ahead with applications for grant funding.

We are looking at the possibility of conducting another survey of community preferences for the pub, but in the shorter term if you have questions or suggestions, we invite you to contact us at info@backthewhitehorse.com