Levelling up funds aiding recovery of rural pubs

Pubs in rural communities across England are among the cherished community assets being saved by government levelling up funding.

The government has announced that endangered pubs in areas such as West Cornwall and Melton Mowbray will be put into the hands of the local community, giving them a new lease of life for generations to come.

The Prince of Wales pub in the Cornish town of Helston and Silks pub in rural Wiltshire are among 10 new projects being rescued with a total of £1.8 million of funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The money is being awarded from the department’s £150 million Community Ownership Fund, which helps communities take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of closure.

The funding allocations also include funding for a sports academy in Northern Ireland, a community centre in Scotland, an historic chapel in County Durham and a village shop and post office in Dorset.

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, said: “Pubs, historic buildings and sports clubs form a vital part of our heritage and for too many places they are a disappearing part of the local community. That is why we are helping local people take control of these beloved community assets, which would otherwise be lost. This sits right at the heart of our vision for levelling up – giving people the power to make positive changes in their local community and restoring pride in the places where the live.”