Pub reopens after villagers raise £30,000 to save it

The Blue Bell Inn will reopen after villagers in Cocking raised £30,000 to save it

A village pub is to reopen after villagers raised more than £30,000 in two weeks to keep it running.

The Blue Bell Inn in Cocking, near Midhurst, West Sussex, has been run as a community venture since 2019, after being shut completely for two years.

Mounting costs meant it closed in the second week of January, while new tenants were sought.

The new management team is now in place, with the doors due to reopen on Friday.

Andy Cornwell, chairman of the Blue Bell Community Hub, said: "We've struggled running the pub with a manager, we managed to struggle through Christmas.

"We wouldn't have been able to pay our bills through January and into February, and we had a choice, either give up and sell the building, or to fight and try to raise the money.

"We set ourselves a big target to clear our cash flow debts and to give us enough stability to allow the new tenants to come in and have a secure future for the next 12 months."

'Viable business'

Mr Cornwell said it is now down to local people to use the pub to keep it open.

"We're not out of the woods yet, we've secured the bricks and mortar but we still need people to use the pub, because the tenants need to make a viable business from it.

"I'm amazed at how generous people have been, it's very gratifying to see there are so many people that do want local pubs to continue and thrive.

"The support has been overwhelming and we were surprised at the level of it, we've had support from New Zealand and other community pubs."

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