FUNDING is to be provided through the UK Community Ownership Fund to help ensure that the Salusbury Arms in Tremeirchion can be acquired and maintained for the benefit of the community.

This was confirmed in the Budget set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP today (March 15).

Through the tireless efforts of a number of individuals in the Tremeirchion area, plans have been put together to purchase the Salusbury Arms for the community.

The ambition is not only to save a valuable facility, but to create a community hub that is owned and managed by people from the area.

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Villagers hope to raise £200,000 to save much loved pub

Following a public meeting last November, an application for £175,000 was submitted to HM Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The MP for Vale of Clwyd, James Davies, assisted the Tremeirchion Community Pub Steering Group with the application.

He said: “This is absolutely fantastic news. The funding announced today will go a long way in helping to bring this exciting project to fruition.

“The Community Ownership Fund was set up to help communities take ownership of assets at risk of closure, enabling voluntary and community organisations to bid for match funding.

“The sum being awarded for the Salusbury Arms through the Community Ownership Fund will cover half of the purchase price and initial operating costs.

“I am extremely pleased that the UK Government has recognised the importance of saving this much-loved traditional pub for the good of the local community, and I will continue working with the steering group in their efforts to secure the remaining funding.”

In a bid to raise further funds, a share offer was launched at the pub on the evening of February 18.

The share offer is open for six weeks from this date, with a target to raise £200,000.

Chair of the Salusbury Arms Steering Group, Stuart Irvine, said: "It is very exciting news that the community purchase of the Salusbury Arms, Tremeirchion will receive a grant of £175,000 from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

“The timing couldn't be better, with the Community Share Offer open until the end of the month.  

"The community shares will provide the match funding for the COF grant. We have raised £70,000 so far but need a further £105,000 to get us over the line.

"The COF is a game changer to realise our dream of our much-loved Salusbury Arms to be run by the community, for the community.

“We are grateful to Dr James Davies for his enthusiastic support of this project and his advice on the COF application.

“This is just the boost we need to encourage more investors to come forward to complete the community purchase."