Fundraising appeal launched to reopen village pub

Residents in a West Sussex village have launched an appeal to reopen a local pub for the second time in six years.

The Blue Bell in Cocking was saved in 2019 after being closed for more than two years, and subsequently run as a community hub and pub before closing again in the second week of January.

The Blue Bell Community Hub, which runs the pub, is now trying to raise £30,000 to keep it going.

Andy Cornwell, chairman of the community hub's management committee, said the pub needed to pay its "short term financial commitments" to clear its slate so new "experienced and exciting" tenants could come in.

Mr Cornwell described the pub, which had raised £4,000 as of Thursday evening, as "a hub of activity in the heart of Cocking".

He added: "Recent economic conditions have put the enterprise on a knife edge, but if we can make that final leap and wipe the slate clean, we have exciting tenants ready to take over and relaunch – thus ensuring the pub goes forward as a viable business."

Peter Gibbon, the community hub's president, said since reopening in 2019, the pub had "played a pivotal role in bringing the community together through events, gatherings, and a warm, inclusive atmosphere".

The latest Campaign for Real Ale figures reveal 1,185 British pubs closed in 2024, up from 1,037 in 2023, with 16 of those being in Sussex.

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