A community which raised more than £450,000 to save the White Horse in Stonesfield, Oxfordshire has been recognised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), winning the runner-up title for the prestigious Pub Saving Award 2023.
CAMRA’s Pub Saving Award recognises people that have come together to save a pub that would have otherwise been demolished or converted to another use. The illustrious award aims to secure publicity for pub-saving campaigns to encourage others to save their local.
This year’s runner-up of the Pub Saving Award is Stonesfield Community Pub Limited, who campaigned to save the White Horse pub and to provide a community hub for its locals.
Dating back to the 19th century, the White Horse shut its doors in March 2020 due to the pandemic, with the owner putting the pub on the market.
Being the last remaining pub in the village of Stonesfield, the community rallied together to ensure the White Horse was safe from developers intent on turning it into housing. The Stonesfield Community Pub Limited was formed (as a Community Benefit Society CBS) to try to buy the pub into community ownership.
Needing to raise almost £400,000, the community embarked upon a fundraising crusade, from cake and t-shirt sales to virtual pub quizzes and Saturday morning car washing.
As well as capturing the imagination of the village, the pub’s campaign garnered international attention, making headlines in the New York Times, ABC News and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, with funding coming from California and Connecticut as well as support from the local area.
The campaign was a triumph, raising almost £450,000, but despite this mammoth effort, the community still had to contend with owners and prospective buyers intent with property development, which meant the pub remained closed while the community nervously waited for news about the pub’s future.
In September 2023, it was announced that Stonesfield Community Pub Limited’s offer of £455,000 had been accepted and the pub was now property of the village.
The White Horse is now operating as a ‘pop-up’ pub on weekends until the new year, while extensive work takes place to ensure it returns to its former glory, selling home-made food, select beers and other drinks. Having been empty for three and a half years, the building was run down, and volunteers have given up hundreds of hours to clean, repair and refurbish the pub.
This year’s winner of the Pub Saving Award was the Save Our Sun committee, who raised more than £350,000 to save the Rising Sun in Woodcroft, Chepstow.
The community spent a decade campaigning to save the Rising Sun, which appears on OS maps from 1870 and was brewery-owned in 2011 until high rents and inflated beer costs caused its doors to close. Despite the community being informed that it had been bought as a pub in late 2012, it had transpired that the new owners were developers who wanted to turn it into residential property.
This led to an epic community-led campaign to buy the pub. Started by a few locals in early 2013, the campaign finally reached fruition with the Rising Sun opening its doors again to the community in October 2022.
Three pubs were also named as Highly Commended in this year’s competition.
- The George in Bethersden, Kent: Saved by The George Community after closing during the pandemic, and now runs as a successful pub, now serving food, at the heart of its community.
- The Raven Inn in Glazebury, Warrington: Campaigned for by the Save the Raven Group and backed by more than 1200 supporters to restore it to its former glory.
- The Travellers Rest in Skeeby, North Yorkshire: This opened its doors for the first time in almost 15 years after being saved from becoming a victim of re-development by an out of area property developer.
CAMRA’s National Planning Policy Adviser Paul Ainsworth said: “Every year, the stories of communities saving their pubs become more incredible. We’re very proud to award these groups with recognition in the Pub Saving Award and hope it will inspire others to take up the fight and save their locals. Congratulations to all who have been successful in giving these local pubs a new lease of life, and especially to the Rising Sun Woodcroft Community Pub Limited group, whose story has moved us and hopefully plenty of others too.
“These awards show the sheer determination and passion people have for their beloved pubs, a vitally important part of communities across the UK. Too many pubs are forced to close their doors against a backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy bills. Everyone recognised are an inspiration to others. I would encourage everyone to support their pubs, especially in the traditionally quieter post-Christmas period.”
The pubs will be presented with the award at forthcoming events organised by the respective local CAMRA branches in early 2024.
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Notes to editors
CAMRA has resources and support for anybody looking to save their local, and the Pub Saving Award highlights how groups across the UK have managed to do it. You can find CAMRA’s ‘Saving Your Local Pub’ Guides, plus more resources and contacts for advice from https://camra.org.uk/take-action/save-your-local-pub/
