The George, The Street, Bethersden, Kent, TN26 3AG

The George campaign were given one of 3 Highly Commended awards for this year's Pub Saving Award - there were over 40 entries all told.

CAMRA has announced the winner in the Pub Saving Awards 2023. Sadly the George at Bethersden didn't win but they were given one of 3 Highly Commended awards, which is great news.

The presentation to the George took place on 9th February for their Community Pub Saving Award which had local radio, tv, and the local MP, Damian Green in attendance.    Photo below by Jane Baerslman.

The story of saving The George in Bethersden is one of determination, resilience, and a lesson in never giving up, as villagers and former customers stood together to save ‘the heart of the community’.

Sitting in the centre of the pretty Kent village of Bethersden, near Ashford, The George is a freehouse which has, for many decades, been the social centre of village life, with a history dating back to the 17th Century.

When The George closed its doors in 2020, during the pandemic, residents were sad but expected it to eventually reopen. Instead, they learned that the building was being put up for sale as a potential private home. Dismayed, they were determined to save their beloved pub and a group of them stepped forward to set up The George Community to campaign to save it.

The group immediately sought help from the Plunkett Foundation, an organisation which supports those looking to set up and run community enterprises. On their advice, the team registered the group as a Community Benefit Society and, through the Bethersden Parish Council, successfully re-applied to list the pub as a community asset, meaning that the village would be given first refusal to buy it. The team then moved to secure support from Ashford Borough Council, the Bethersden Charitable Trust, Co-Operatives UK and local MP Damian Green, whose constituency office was located a stone’s throw from the pub.

The next challenge was raising the necessary funds to buy The George. Their chances were boosted by the news that their application to the Government’s Community Ownership Scheme (launched in 2021) had been successful – the only group in the Southeast to be selected - with up to £250K available in matched funding. The group’s uphill task was then to raise a further £300K before Christmas 2022 or lose the award which could spell the end of their dream to save The George.

Up to this point the Steering Committee had been raising small amounts while keeping the spirit of the pub alive, through pop-up social events whilst preparing their business plan for the pub as a community enterprise. A website and e-newsletter were also set up to keep the community and supporters informed on progress.

With the village full-square behind them, the team launched a community share offer. They presented their plans, complete with a formal prospectus, at the end of November 2022, to a packed village hall meeting of over 100 supporters. Shares were priced at £500 each with a maximum purchase of 80 shares per person. There would, however, be a ‘one member, one vote’ approach to ensure that all shareholders had an equal and democratic say in the company, as defined by the rules of community benefit societies.

The launch was supported by a strong PR campaign which brought TV cameras and to The George to interview members of the community and local councillors outside the pub, and which secured radio interviews with members of the Steering Committee, as well as placing news stories announcing the ‘Save the George’ share offer in local press and online media.

The scale and speed of the resulting response exceeded all expectations with 187 applications, not just from the village but from the surrounding area and even further a-field. This included former residents and customers living as far away as Canada, such was the outpouring of love and support for The George. In addition, Co-operatives UK, which had provided start-up help for the group, committed to make an investment of £25,000. The target was therefore reached in an incredible three weeks.

With the target sum secured, the group could enter final negotiations with the pub’s owner. A final deal was agreed, and the sale went through in January 2023, with the group finally taking vacant possession of The George at the beginning of February.

Buying the pub was of course just the beginning of saving The George: a herculean task then began as the new Management Committee of seven, elected at the first Annual Members meeting in January, began the refurbishment of the building.

The share offer was kept open until early in the New Year and the eventual sum raised was well over £330K with an additional £36K brought in from specialist grants, enabling the team to tackle more than the basic repairs that were envisaged when writing their business plan.

Whilst the team was aware of many necessary repairs, nothing had quite prepared them for just how much work would need to be done, once they gained access to the pub. This included: rewiring the entire building; replacing a leaking water tank and the damage this had caused; conducting roof repairs and replacing rotten floorboards – let alone installing up-to-date fire safety and alarm systems - all before any internal redecoration and the installation of fixtures and fitting could be started.

With the sum raised, they were also able to improve the beer garden, creating a larger patio; providing new garden seating; establishing a separate play area and opening up the view into the adjacent village field using post and rail fencing.

Three months and much blood, sweat and tears later, the Management Team was able to stage an official opening for the George – initially as a wet pub, as the kitchen needed additional work - with a new General Manager and staff team in place. The first pint of real ale was officially pulled by Damian Green MP in front of a bank of TV cameras and microphones, following a pub blessing given by the vicar, on Kent Day, 26th May 2023.

Since then, The George has returned to its rightful place at the heart of the village, becoming a true hub for the local community. Several local ales are regularly on tap, including those from Harvey’s, Longman, Canterbury Ales, Kent Brewery and Romney Marsh Brewery, with a new guest ale each Friday, and there is a commitment to hold two beer festivals each year (the most recent was in September). In addition, The George supports other local suppliers such as Kent Crisps – a policy which will continue when the kitchen re-opens and a new menu is created.

The previously popular monthly George pub quiz has returned, providing a donation to a different local charity each time - and the pub regularly hosts live music and family events, as well as supporting fundraisers and raffles for the church and other local causes.

June saw the launch of a café offering, with support from Pub Is The Hub – an organisation which helps pubs to diversify - with fresh coffee, teas, hot chocolate and delicious home baked goods from some of the village’s expert bakers. This has proved popular with a wide range of customers – from older people looking for company to dog walkers to passing cyclists as well as home workers who can pop in to use the pub’s high speed wi-fi or just to take a work break. Local artists and makers can also display their work for sale in pub’s Saloon.

Most important of all for its future viability, The George is profitable - even as a solely wet pub - and remains debt-free as it looks to the future reopening of its kitchen and pub dining, all less than a year since its Save The George fundraising campaign began.

https://camra.org.uk/press_release/a-decade-of-campaigning-wins-camras-pub-saving-award-2023