Our community volunteers and contracted trades have been making great progress over the past two weeks in preparing The Winterbourne for reopening. Outside, the new roof on the older part of the building is complete: Inside, Phil and his team of helpers have done the messy work of preparing the flat for re-plastering and decoration, and in some rooms have started the painting! Downstairs, more volunteers have cleared out all the rooms of unwanted items - much has gone in the skip, but anything with possible value is currently displayed in the conservatory for 'Take and Donate' offers. Outside, the gardens have been completely cleared ready for landscaping, and our new signs are up on the A43
We are delighted that a number of news outlets have taken an interest in our successful purchase, and links to the articles published so far are given below: http://marlborough.news/news/7495-community-venture-saves-winterbourne-bassett-s-pub-for-the-village https://swindonlink.com/wiltshire-village-saves-pub-for-the-community/ http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/16081769.Punters_buy_village_ale_house_to_save_from_closure/ We also appeared in print with an article in the Swindon Advertiser: Our local MP Claire Perry wrote us this lovely letter to congratulate us:
Investors from Winterbourne Bassett and surrounding villages have succeeded in their efforts to buy their village pub, from Wadworth Brewery, to secure the future of this crucial community hub. The villagers formed the Winterbourne Bassett Community Pub Society and raised £450,000 through 51 private investors, a grant from the Plunkett Foundation and loans from Co-operative and Community Finance, to complete the purchase on the 8th March after the pub closed in October 2017. The pub, formerly known as The White Horse Inn, will now undergo a programme of refurbishment and investment, including a new roof and kitchen. The pub will then reopen as a freehouse. The community have chosen a new na
