Empty pub becomes 'trailblazing' community hub

The Kings Arms is now a community space for families and vulnerable adults

The team responsible for converting a former pub into a local support hub say it will be "a great space for the community".

The Kings Arms community hub, run by Wellington Town Council, will be a point of contact for families and vulnerable adults to access advice, guidance and support, Falcon Rural Housing bought the building in 2021 and has created a space for groups and local agencies on the ground floor.

Kelly Enfield, the manager of the community hub said: "Pubs are perfectly placed right in the centre of town so I think what we're doing is trailblazing."

"I'm really hopeful other towns will follow suit," she added.

Hub manager Kelly Enfield hopes other towns will turn empty buildings into community spaces

The space will host toddler sessions, employment hubs and dementia and memory support groups.

The charity Young Somerset will also run its Bold and Brave Cafe in the centre, which offers young people employment opportunities.

Dave Farrow, chief executive of Wellington Town Council, said: "A lot of people remember it being a pub so actually being able to have people coming in and using it in a positive way, really making a difference to the town, is fundamentally important."

Lexie Adamson, Justine Macfarlane and Charley Pullen work at the cafe in the hub

According to the British Beer and Pub Association, pub numbers have been slowly declining across the UK for decades.

A number of local community groups in Somerset are attempting to save closed pubs in places including Milverton and East Harptree.

Plunkett UK, a charity supporting community-owned businesses, said it is working with groups in Somerset who want to reopen closed pubs.

James Alcock from the charity said: "What's different about the Kings Arms is that it hasn't got the pub element still going."

"What we typically see is a community that wants to save the pub," he added.

Mr Alcock said: "You've got to think differently about the wider services and benefits you can offer the whole community, just as the community in Wellington has done."