Hawco and Marstair Raise First £1000 to Save Rural Pubs

Contractor Sales Engineer Adam Campbell and Marstair's Commercial Director Nuwan Chandrakumara met Mary Boullin from Plunkett at the Auctioneer's Arms

With support from our friends at Marstair, we’ve been raising funds for Plunkett UK. We have collected £1000 so far by donating £25 for every Marstair cellar cooling system we sell. The initiative will continue to raise further funds throughout 2026.

Plunkett is a national charity that helps communities across the UK to own and run their rural pubs, shops, and other businesses for the benefit of local people. 

One of the pubs helped by Plunkett is The Auctioneers Arms in Caverswall, Staffordshire, which has served customers in the village for over 150 years. The pub was closed in 2016 with plans to redevelop the site into housing. It was saved when 200 residents bought community shares in the business with a minimum investment of £250 each, and a combination of grants and loans secured the future of the pub for the local community. It reopened two years later and is now in its seventh year of successful trading as a community-owned business. 

Contractor Sales Engineer Adam Campbell and Marstair's Commercial Director Nuwan Chandrakumara met Mary Boullin from Plunkett at the Auctioneer's Arms. During their visit, we learned how The Auctioneers Arms has gone from strength to strength under community ownership to become the heart of the local area. Affectionately known locally as ‘The Knocks’, the pub has a coffee bar and brasserie offering a variety of food throughout the day at an affordable price, including delicious coffee and cakes. 

The Auctioneers Arms hosts a regular programme of events for local residents including popular quiz nights, bingo, live music, super league darts tournaments and charity events. In addition, two upstairs rooms are dedicated to the Caverswall Creative Hub. The hub provides space for individuals, families and groups to develop their artistic skills and socialise together. 

All profits from the pub are ploughed back into the business, helping to subsidise groups like the Creative Hub and fund improvements to the pub and make it even more welcoming. 

Finally, the community pub encourages local groups to make use of the facilities available. This includes support for young people who want to pursue a career in catering and hospitality by providing apprenticeships. The work opportunities created have helped some students to overcome anxiety, giving them the chance to grow in confidence.

Learn more about Plunkett

The Auctioneers Arms proudly displaying the names of every community shareholder
Terry Rogers, manager of the Auctioneers Arms
Coffee bar and brasserie with a wide selection of cake

The Auctioneers Arms hosts the creative hub, offering up creative community events for any local visitor