RESIDENTS of a small village have stepped in to save their local pub, raising over £400,000 to buy it out.
An "army of volunteers" set to work refurbishing the Brewers Arms in West Malvern, Worcestershire to get it ready to reopen by Christmas, run by members of the community.
Even the local vicar, Reverend Rebecca Elliot, has bought shares in the project and was there on opening night to bless the barrels and pull pints.
Current license holder Mark Haslam told The Sun Online that the purchase was an "all-round community effort" after 437 people from the area pitched in to raise the cash.
They had been trying to buy the boozer as far back as 2016, but finally got the chance in November last year.
Contributing as little £250 each, they raised a whopping £408,000 to cover the £295,000 property price as well as tax, licensing and renovation costs.
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All they need now is a permanent tenant to run the pub "for the benefit of the community".
However, they were determined to keep the beating heart of the village open over Christmas with or without a tenant, and so local volunteers will be manning the bar until someone can be found.
Mark added that the community is desperate for someone to take over the "wonderful little pub" and keep it in operation permanently in the "tight-knit" village.
He joked: "The vicar is crying out: 'someone please come and run my pub'.
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"The Brewers Arms is a delightful pub, and we refuse to believe there aren’t the right people out there who want to become a key part of our vibrant and ‘can do’ community."
The reverend said: "Like the church and the school, the pub is a key part of our local community.
"Therefore, at its time of need, I’m delighted to be able to chip-in and do my bit. I’m quite looking forward to pulling a few pints, whilst also enjoying meeting up with local people."
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