Bethersden villagers save pub after share offer success

Residents of a Kent village have been celebrating after raising £300,000 to save their local pub.

The George in Bethersden, near Ashford, had been serving drinks for more than 300 years before it closed in 2020.

Determined to see it reopen, a group of villagers came up with a plan to turn it into a community business.

Robin Draper, of the George Community Group, said they had "worked hard over the last two years to build a community feeling to rescue it".

"Man, have we been successful!" Mr Draper told BBC South East.

The villagers raised the money needed to buy The George for £540,000 by launching a share offer, which is still open.

They were helped by a government pledge to match funds raised up to the value of £250,000, but had a deadline of the end of the year.

On Saturday night, the George Community Group announced it had reached its target.

Local resident Alison Miles said the pub had been a place to "meet family, celebrate, and commiserate" and she could not wait to see it open again.

The group now hopes to open a refurbished venue within a few months, not just as a pub, but also as a warm space, library and community centre.

Michele Sadler, who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, said: "The pub is really the hub of the community and to be able to bring that facility back to the villagers has been fantastic."