A Community Pub For Ponsanooth
Imagine a community owned pub that operates for purpose, not just for profit; that builds its business around the needs of the community, and that reinvests every penny into local projects to improve the lives of those who live here.
This is our vision for The Stag – a true community pub for Ponsanooth.
Welcome to Ponsanooth, a Cornish village fighting to rescue our pub
No matter whether you live in the village, have family in the area or if you’ve never even heard of us; whether you have useful skills, money to invest or just enthusiasm for a great cause – everyone can help! And if we are to succeed in our vision of a true community pub, we will need all the help we can get.
Please take a minute to look at what we hope to achieve, how we plan to get there and how you can be a part of making it happen.
Thank you!
Our Vision Of A Community Pub
A true community pub is owned by the community and run for the benefit of the community – this is what we are working hard to achieve.
We are building a democratic structure where every member of the society has an equal say, no matter their financial stake in the business. An equal say over how the pub is run, an equal say over what additional services the pub can bring to the village, and an equal say over how the profits are invested.
When the pub starts to thrive, and we know that it will, every penny of profit will be invested in great causes which improve the village of Ponsanooth, and which further the opportunities for our community.
And as for the pub itself? A strict asset lock means that when we are successful in purchasing the pub, then The Stag will be owned by the village for ever more – ensuring an earned revenue stream for the village, tobe spent on making the village better and better.
How is it going to happen?
We’ve got to be honest here – it’s going to be hard to get started. Really hard.
The main thing we have to do to make our dream a reality is to raise around half a million pounds to buy the pub. We are under no illusions as to how difficult this will be, but we’ve got a few ideas up or sleeves. We’re planning to reach our target through a combination of several revenue streams – grant funding, donations / fundraising and a community shares offer.
Community Shares
These give anyone the chance to support the pub by investing, and will be critical to the success of the project. We aim to make the shares affordable with a £100 minimum buy-in, and any holding translates to membership of the society meaning an equal say over the running of the pub. More than this, every investment will receive an attractive rate of interest, and may be eligible for significant rates of tax relief.
Grant Funding
Unfortunately availability of grants is not great at the moment. Until December 2024 the government had a ‘Community Ownership Fund’ specifically for projects like ours, and groups were regularly receiving grants of up to £250k. Sadly this has now ceased to operate. There are, however, still a lot of smaller grant pots out there, and we are confident we can raise a significant amount this way.
Fundraising & Donations
Watch this space as we’ve got some great ideas up our sleeves – we will be holding events to raise money, and will be launching a crowdfunding campaign very soon. Again looking at the success of other community pubs, many of their fundraising campaigns have gone global with online donations from all over the world.
FAQs
What is a community pub?
There are different models for how the day to day operation works, but in its simplest terms, a community pub is a pub that is owned and democratically controlled by a large number of people from within the community it serves. The incredible 99% success rate of community pubs is largely down to the fact that people are more likely to use the pub if they have helped to rescue it, have a stake in its ownership and have a say in how it is run.
What is the process?
The first step we took was the village survey, some of the results of this are shared here. The feedback showed overwhelming support for the idea, and has been invaluable for informing the next stages of the process. We have officially registered ourselves as Ponsanooth Community Benefit Society, the legal entity with which we will proceed, and have formed a steering group, to drive the project forward. As a steering group, we are in the process of carrying out feasibility studies and writing a business plan. These documents will inform the next, and most critical step of the process – raising the money to purchase the pub and cover the essential works and setup costs involved.
What is a CBS?
CBS stands for Community Benefit Society, which is a strictly regulated company structure, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It must be established for the benefit of a specific community and have a non-profit constitution, in this case we will benefit the people of Ponsanooth, as all profits will be invested back into village projects.
The CBS is wholly owned by its members (community shareholders) and operates democratically on a ‘one member one vote’ basis – this means a member who has invested £100 has just as much say as someone with a £50k investment. All members can attend the AGM and vote on matters to be decided.
How do community shares work?
Community Shares are the best way that the village and wider community can support our efforts. We will be launching a Community Share Offer in due course, with full details to follow.
By investing, you will become a member of the society (Ponsanooth CBS), and will not only own a part of the pub and have a stake in its success, but will have an equal say over its operation. The more members we have as a society, the better we can reflect the community we serve and the more we can act in their interests.
These shares work a little differently from most investment shares – they cannot be transferred, do not gain value, and they do not earn dividends. However they can gain an attractive rate of interest, they can be withdrawn at the same value as they were purchased, and there can be tax incentives for investment, especially for businesses. Most of all though, by investing in the future of the pub you can help the village community to rescue an important part of its history, culture and village life.
Community shares are not going to make you rich overnight, but they are a great way to use your money for good, whilst still generating a decent return.
The CBS is wholly owned by its members (community shareholders) and operates democratically on a ‘one member one vote’ basis – this means a member who has invested £100 has just as much say as someone with a £50k investment. All members can attend the AGM and vote on matters to be decided.
Why are you doing this?
For most of us in this group, it wasn’t until we were faced with the possibility that the village would lose our pub, that we came to realise just how much of a loss that would be.
The more we look at this opportunity, the more we see what an incredible asset the pub could be in the hands of the community. A thriving pub at the heart of a thriving village is the goal we all share
What’s in it for you?
All we stand to gain is what everybody in Ponsanooth does – an inclusive social space in the village, somewhere we can hang out, have a few drinks and a bite to eat, engage with a strengthened village community and share a renewed pride in our village.
What can I do to help?
It is going to take a real community effort to succeed with this project, and everyone can help in as big or as small a way as they would like. Here are just some of the ways you can get involved and show your support:
Spread the word. Tell everyone you know what we are up to, and when we start fundraising tell them how they can contribute.
Get involved. Many hands make light work – if you have time and / or skills to share we’re going to need all the help we can get. Reach out on Facebook or by email to [email protected].
Start saving. We’ll be launching our Community Share Offer very soon, so watch this space for developments.
Share your thoughts. We’re always looking for fresh ideas, we value your support and we’re happy to address any concerns. One thing’s for sure – without the village behind us this just isn’t going to work.
Follow us. Search Facebook for ‘Save The Stag Hunt Inn’ and follow our page. The more you like, comment on and share our posts the more people will see them, so please join in the conversation. We’re working towards more social platforms so keep up with us there too.