Hawco and Marstair Raising Funds to Save Rural Pubs

The New Inn in Norton Lindsey, Warwickshire - a community-owned pub since 2017   Photo credit : Robin Woolgar Photography

Nearly 200 village pubs in the UK are owned and run by their local community where they provide much-loved and much-needed services.  

All of them are supported by Plunkett UK, a national charity that provides ongoing, free support to people who want to set-up or run their own community-owned business. Plunkett UK helps establish around 15 rural pubs a year as community businesses,  saving them from risk of permanent closure.  

Hawco and Marstair are raising funds to support Plunkett’s work by making a £25 donation for every Marstair cellar cooling system they sell in 2025. The money will help support communities up and down the UK who are working to save treasured community assets and create a thriving, inclusive and impactful business for their local area.

Community-Owned Pubs

The most recent pub to be saved from closure is The Ickleton Lion. The pub has stood in the heart of the village of Ickleton near Saffron Walden for over 300 years but closed in summer 2023. With support from Plunkett UK, the pub will be reopening in 2025 with the vision of creating a warm and welcoming space serving affordable food and drink.

The Ickleton Lion will become a social hub for the quarter of village residents who live alone. It will also be a meeting place for parents, a workspace for residents and a convening space for local groups and clubs. Community pubs have a role to play in tackling isolation and loneliness in remote rural communities as well as creating local employment and volunteering opportunities.  

A further rural pub saved from closure with Plunkett’s support is The Old Forge in Knoydart, known as the UK’s most remote mainland pub. Located in the Scottish Highlands, Knoydart is only accessible by boat or a two-day trek. The Old Forge provides a vital asset to the wellbeing and economy of the 157 people who live in the area.  

Community-owned pubs saved from closure : The Old Forge in Knoydart (top) and The Ickleton Inn near Saffron Walden (bottom)
Gemma Sills, Head of Partnerships at Plunkett UK, expressed her appreciation for the fundrasing effort. “We are delighted to have the support of Hawco and Marstair in 2025 to help us continue offering vital support to communities who are facing the loss of yet another essential local asset.

"Community-owned pubs are lifelines to the people and areas they serve, bringing a wealth of benefits from helping to reduce isolation and loneliness, to creating much-needed local employment, training and volunteering opportunities. The contribution raised from this fantastic initiative will mean that more communities across the UK can save these iconic institutions and turn them into thriving and inclusive community spaces”

About Plunkett UK

Plunkett UK has been supporting rural communities for over 100 years. It provides services and support for more than 800 community-owned businesses, as well as a further 500 community groups who are actively working towards creating their own community business.

The charity aims to achieve resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities across the UK. Community businesses are owned and controlled by community members who have an equal and democratic say in how the business is run. They bring together diverse networks of people who encourage community action and tackle a wide range of issues, putting the interests of their community first.  

For more examples of the support provided by Plunkett visit their website