People travelled from far and wide two weeks ago to find out more about a unique opportunity to be involved in purchasing the historic Salusbury Arms in Tremeirchion.
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 local people.
Following a public meeting last November, an application for £175,000 was submitted to HM Government’s Community Ownership Fund. If successful, this will cover half of the purchase price and initial operating costs.
In order to raise further funds, a Share Offer was launched at the pub on the evening of Saturday February 18th. The Share Offer is open for six weeks with a target to raise £200,000.
Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies is supportive of the ambitions and helped publicise the launch by sending out letters to residents and businesses in the area.
He was also present at the launch event and was encouraged by the number of people who attended and were interested in taking up the Share Offer.
He said:
“The Salusbury Arms has been integral to the fabric of Tremeirchion for over 200 years and is now the only remaining pub in the village. It is an impressive, much-loved traditional pub with a great deal of history and if funding is secured for this exciting project, it can continue playing a vital role in the village for many more years to come.
“In recent months I have been assisting the Tremeirchion Community Pub Steering Group in every way that I can to help bring this project to fruition and I will continue doing so. Many hours of hard work have gone in to getting the project to the stage it is currently at and I congratulate all those involved for what they have achieved to date.
“From the numbers at the event, it is clear that there is a strong appetite for this community facility, but the window of opportunity is limited with the Share Offer only open for just over three weeks longer. I therefore urge anyone who is interested in being involved to act fast.”
Natalie Millington, who is a member of the steering group, said:
“For this exciting project to succeed, strong participation from the community is critical - not just Tremeirchion, but inclusive of the surrounding area where the community pub will be a unique asset for everyone to enjoy.
“We are not looking to just save the pub, but to create a real hub for the local community including a daytime space for community groups to use, a cafe, small shop and post office. We currently don’t have any of these facilities in the village.
“There are a lot of elderly residents in Tremeirchion and because of where we are situated, we are a little limited with connections. A community hub would therefore be hugely beneficial.”
She added:
“The event on 18th February was a great success with well over 100 people in attendance. A lot of people had travelled quite a distance.
“We are aiming to raise £200,000 in the six weeks that the Share Offer is open.
“The loss of the Salusbury Arms would have a devastating effect on our community as it is the only remaining pub in the village. The community purchase through Tremeirchion Community Pub Ltd. (TCPL) will ensure that the property and grounds will be used for the benefit of the community for future generations.
“If you wish to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity, please have a read through the share offer document and the business plan which are on our website: https://www.tremeirchioncommunitypub.org/blog, and if you have any questions please feel free to email us at [email protected].”
