Tag: #ComradesArms

Buy Local Christmas Cards And Save The White Lion

The picture being used is adapted from an original painting by Hursey resident, John Iveson.

Cards are available in sets of 5 in compostable wraps at Broadwindsor Community Stores now, priced at £2.50.

All profits to the Save the White Lion fund.

Why not use Scout Post too? More HERE.

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#PalmersBrewery,#TheWhiteLion,#BWGPC,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#PlunkettFoundation,#ChristmasCards,#ComradesArms,#Update,#Funding,#Christmas,#ScoutPost,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Comrades Arms Closed This Weekend

A message from landlord of the Comrades Arms, Andrew Hookings:

“Sadly due to a long standing booking the bar will be closed on Friday and Saturday nights, but will reopen and return to normal service on Sunday 28th November between 12 noon and 3pm and then Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm until further notice.

Details shortly of Christmas and New Year opening times.”

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#TheWhiteLion,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#ComradesArms,#Funding,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Save The White Lion NEWS Update #3

A summary of the latest minutes from the Steering Group’s meeting on 18th November, provided by Margery Hookings:

Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion in Broadwindsor as a community pub. The community needs to raise at least £30,000 to make it happen.

The Steering Group comprises:

  • David Leader (Chair)
  • Elaine Leader
  • Susanna Newall
  • Chris Newall
  • Sandra Burrows
  • Charles Ouin
  • Luke Pickering
  • Andrew Hookings
  • Margery Hookings
  • John Heys
  • Fraser Hughes
  • Chris Edgerley
  • Rick Dyke.

 The following is a summary of the latest meeting, excluding commercially sensitive or personal information.

Save the White Lion, summary of meeting 18/11/21

Community Benefit Society application – because of changed criteria, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) turned down our application.  It is not worth us appealing due to time, money and the FCA is unlikely to back down so we now need a new legal structure.  This is likely to be a Community Interest Company. Investigations and communication continue. [This means the community pub is not likely to open until early 2022.]

Applicants – we are in contact with two sets of people who have applied to run the pub.

Business plan – This continues to be updated. Cash flow in the first year will depend on the starting date.

Grants and fundraising:

  • It was hoped to hold two fundraising events before Christmas but these have been put on hold because of high covid rates locally. Local musicians are planning to stage a gig on Saturday 15 January 2022 at Comrades Hall in aid of the Save the White Lion fund, for which the committee is very grateful. Committee members will be on hand to run the bar and man the door.
  • There has been a gradual decline in numbers at Comrades Arms, possibly because of covid, but the pop-up bar continues to raise money for the community pub campaign. [£1,750 so far.]
  • Grant-making bodies need to know our legal structure before we can proceed with grant applications.
  • We will need a public meeting to seek funding from the community. A certain amount of detail about the plans will be within the prospectus, along with display boards. The date of this meeting and the way forward hinges on the outcome of discussions about the legal structure of the community business.
  • A Christmas card featuring an adaptation of John Iveson’s painting of the White Lion will be available for sale in packs of five for £2.50. These will be on sale at the shop. An initial print run of 500 was agreed.

Refurbishment:

There has been a constructive meeting with Palmers. Builders have been working recently on behalf of the brewery at the back of the pub.

Banner – Chris E has made enquiries re a large banner which will be purchased and placed in a prominent position once we go back to the community at a public meeting.

Tree lights in the Square – Palmers have agreed to a Christmas tree above the pub door.

Next meeting – the next meeting will be held once we have an update on the new legal structure to take the project forward.

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#PalmersBrewery,#TheWhiteLion,#BWGPC,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#PlunkettFoundation,#ChristmasCards,##ComradesArms,#Update,#Funding,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Happy Hallowe’en!

Hallowe’en! Also All Hallows Eve, All Saints Eve and Samhain. Many Hallowe’en traditions are influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly Samhain. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
It was believed that on that day, the souls of the dead returned to their homes, so people dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off their spirits.

November 1st is All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints and Hallowmas. Recognised and celebrated by the Christian church when they honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are known or unknown.

The ‘Go A Little Batty‘ card (main photo) was left in the Comrades Hall Servery with the following written inside:

Thank you Broadwindsor Brownies, Guides & Rangers!

In Broadwindsor this Hallowe’en, there is much going on… Please click on the event for more information.

Open at 9am – The Stableyard Restaurant is serving Hallowe’en cupcakes and skeleton ginger bread men alongside their delicious menu.

Other Hallowe’en activities include:

  • trick-or-treating – discouraged due to Covid,
  • attending Hallowe’en costume parties – with covid precautions in place,
  • carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns,
  • lighting bonfires,
  • apple bobbing,
  • divination games,
  • playing pranks,
  • visiting haunted attractions,
  • telling scary stories,
  • watching horror films.

Enjoy a spooky time!

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#Halloween,#Samhain,#Festival,#GirlGuiding,#Brownies,#Guides,#Rangers,#TheStableyardRestaurant,#RNA,#ComradesArms,#TheWagonHouse,#NeilMayaQuartet,#MatineeJazz,#BrubeckRaffle,#AllHallowsDay,#AllSaintsDay,#SocialDistancing,#Bekind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Save the White Lion NEWS Update #2

A summary of the latest minutes from the Steering Group’s meeting on 18th October, provided by Margery Hookings:

Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion at Broadwindsor as a Community Pub. The community needs to raise at least £30,000 to make it happen.

The Steering Group comprises:

  • David Leader (Chair)
  • Elaine Leader
  • Susanna Newall
  • Chris Newall
  • Sandra Burrows
  • Charles Ouin
  • Luke Pickering
  • Andrew Hookings
  • Margery Hookings
  • John Heys
  • Fraser Hughes
  • Chris Edgerley
  • Rick Dyke.

 The following is a summary of the latest meeting, excluding commercially sensitive or personal information.
Save the White Lion, summary of meeting 18/10/21

Community Benefit Society application –

Slight delay while the Plunkett Foundation, which is advising us, talks to the Financial Conduct Authority about the legality of the set-up before we can go to the community with a share offer. We should know within three weeks.

Grants and fundraising –

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council has agreed a grant of £5,400 which represents three years’ grant all in one go. A great deal of work has been carried out to identify suitable grant-making bodies. It is difficult to pursue these while we await confirmation of the legal set-up of the organisation running the pub. Comrades Arms had made a profit of £700 in the first two weeks. People within the local community are working on fundraising events in the village.

Manager –

There have been several expressions of interest so far. Discussions and advertising ongoing.

Business plan –

An abridged version has been amended to include skill sets and this will be used in grant applications. A three-year cash flow will be put into the plan. Firm costings for the refurb will need to be included in the plan.

Refurbishment –

A great deal of time and research has been put into structural work and furnishing needed before the pub can reopen. This has to be costed to put into the business plan. Volunteers have offered help with structural work. The Steering Group was unanimous on the proposed physical layout of the pub and furnishings as per the plan drafted in conjunction with the brewery. More details will be unveiled when the community is approached to buy shares.

The next meeting is due to be held on 1 November.

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#PalmersBrewery,#TheWhiteLion,#BWGPC,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#PlunkettFoundation,#ComradesArms,#Update,#Funding,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

The White Lion Makes The Bridport News

Bradley White, reporter for the Bridport & Lyme Regis News spoke with Steering Group Chair, David Leader and published the following:

VILLAGERS are hoping to raise their glasses this Christmas as they strive to launch their community pub.

The White Lion in Broadwindsor is set to reopen with the village’s residents at the helm.

The Palmers pub closed in the summer and since then there have been negotiations with regard to the community taking it over.

A steering group was put together consisting of a number of villagers with expertise in running pubs and community venues, along with a solicitor and some parish councillors.

The group has been in talks with Palmers in recent months after a survey revealed 95 per cent of respondents were in favour of the White Lion being run as a community pub.

There is currently a ‘principle agreement’ in place between the steering group and Palmers, with a contract expected in the near future.

Parish councillor David Leader is leading the project.

He said: “It’s exciting and it is going very well. A lot of people are investing a lot of time and effort in trying to make this happen and there’s a lot to be encouraged by.

“Things have moved on positively in terms of discussions – we’re not there yet but we have draft legal agreements which are being worked on.

“Whilst there is not currently a contract there are principle agreements in place with Palmers but there are several things which need to be ironed out.

“In an ideal world we would like to be open for Christmas. There are a number of factors which could delay that date but that is what we are aiming for.”

The next part of the plan will be to raise the funds needed to cover liabilities, refurbishment and the initial purchase of stock. The steering group estimates around £30,000 will need to be raised.

One of the ways the group hopes to achieve this is through a community share issue, in which members of the community can buy into the project in exchange for voting rights.

In order to go through with this, the pub needs to be incorporated as a not-for-profit business, which the group are hoping to go through this month. At this point the group will be out and about in the village to drum up support.

In the meantime, members of the steering group have started up ‘the Comrades’ Arms’, a makeshift pub run out of the Broadwindsor Village Hall.

Mr Leader said: “The Comrades’ Arms has been opened as a temporary measure so that there is an open pub in the village. It is also a way which we can raise funds and a smaller project for the steering group to prepare them for the running of the pub.

Mr Leader added that there are a number of fundraising activities being planned for the coming weeks.

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#PalmersBrewery,#TheWhiteLion,#BWGPC,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#BridportNews,#BradleyWhite,#ComradesArms,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Save the White Lion NEWS update

On behalf of the Steering Group, Margery Hookings released the information below.  This information will also be displayed at The Comrades Arms, on the Parish Council’s website and on various noticeboards. Many questions that Broadwindsor.org has received and asked on your behalf are answered here 🙂

Over to Margery…

Work is going on behind the scenes to re-open the White Lion at Broadwindsor as a community pub.

A Steering Group is meeting regularly to move the project forward. It comprises:

  • David Leader (Chair)
  • Sandra Burrows
  • Chris Edgerley
  • John Heys
  • Andrew Hookings
  • Margery Hookings
  • Fraser Hughes
  • Elaine Leader
  • Susanna Newall
  • Chris Newall
  • Charles Ouin
  • Luke Pickering

Between them, group members have a wide range of skills and experience. We believe that securing the right deal with Palmers represents the best – and only – chance for the White Lion to re-open at the heart of our community. We want it to happen, and we know the community does too. We need to raise at least £30,000 to make it a reality.

Agreement with Palmers has been reached but not yet signed. We can’t tell you all that’s been happening because some of the detail is commercially sensitive. However, it’s our intention to publicise a summary of our meetings to keep you updated as best we can.

Save the White Lion, summary of meeting 6/10/21

Community Benefit Society application – due to be incorporated within next 3 weeks. Share issue put to community (like the village did for the shop).

Business plan – final version almost ready. All payments need to be made by end of year 3.

Funding – seeking grant from Broadwindsor Group Parish Council. Applications to grant funding bodies identified as most likely to support project. Comrades Arms trading well, taking £1,200 in first four days.
Two villagers planning two events in aid of Save the White Lion, in addition to regular discos where bar takings will go to pub fund. More details soon.

Yard of ale fundraising ‘thermometer’ to be placed in the Square.

Bank account – can be started only when we are a Community Benefit Society.  

Job advert for manager/chef – not much response yet. Exploring other outlets. 

Logo – new logo in consultation with Palmers. Original pub sign (pre-dating existing one) by George Biles will be displayed internally.

Refurbishment – ongoing discussions on updating interior and adapting layout for ambience, efficiency and increased number of covers. Kitchen left sparkly clean by Spike and Vikki. Now to cost kitchen equipment etc for business plan.

Timeline – end of October/early November – approach community on share issue.

Christmas/New Year – hope to be open.

SaveTheWhiteLion.Org

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#2021,#DAONB,#DorsetLife,#PalmersBrewery,#TheWhiteLion,#BWGPC,#CommunityPub,#SaveTheWhiteLion,#GeorgeBiles,#ComradesArms,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe