NOW the building has been saved the Friends of the Raven Inn team is turning their minds toward clearing, cleaning and refurbishing the historic building – starting with the ground floor pub.
The two main requirements for the new owners are labour and funds.
Friends of the Raven Inn spokesperson Peter Sturman said: “There has already been a fantastic response from the community. We have a comprehensive system for recruiting and organising our workforce.
“We have been considering funding streams since 2019. One avenue many community pubs go down is to raise capital by selling shares in the enterprise. We are seriously exploring that option. We are taking advice from others who have been down a similar route.
“We will also be guided by the Plunkett Foundation, who has been advising and assisting us since the early days. One immediate advantage of raising capital via shares is that it allows people to invest in the venture and be involved, in that way.
“We are also exploring avenues such as Crowd Funding & Kick Starter. Likewise, we are also looking at the Community Ownership Fund, which is part of the government’s levelling up programme.
“We expect to get the keys for the Raven towards the end of this month. That gives us some time to plan the next steps, properly.
“It is important that we choose the right funding streams for our purpose. We are also well aware that going for too many, at once, could engulf us in a bureaucratic nightmare.
“As soon as we have our intended funding streams properly and correctly set up, we will launch them and invite people to participate.
“Watch this space!”
Hard work starts now as campaigners save historic Raven Inn from demolition
2 Comments
Well done
What an amazing success story. Let’s hope they secure the necessary funding to get it refurbished and re-opened as soon as possible. a restaurant area upstairs would be great as it would attract a wider clientele.