Dog Inn #2, Belthorn, Lancashire

Background

The Dog Inn was purchased by the community in September 2015 following a share issue and operational help and assistance from Pub is The Hub. The pub was run down after being closed for the best part of a year so the community rolled up its sleeves and started a long process of staged refurbishment. The pub reopened on in November 2015 with just the bar operational but work continued at weekends and in the evening and the first floor was converted to two smaller meeting rooms, that can be opened to create a larger room accommodating up to 40 people, that came into use in 2016.

Again, in 2016 Pub is The Hub helped the Dog Inn with a Community Services Grant of £4,000 to create a community café run by volunteers throughout the week providing a much-needed place for villagers and visitors of all ages to meet and socialise.

Work has continued to refurbish the restaurant and upgrade its kitchens and create a decked area with views over the Ribble Valley which was completed and opened in the summer of 2018 and work has now moved on outside the pub to create a community garden and allotments in an adjoining field, purchased as part of the pub acquisition.

Project Summary

The meeting rooms are currently used by a number of local groups including the local village history society and a drama group regularly and occasionally other societies. Currently these groups have to beg or borrow equipment to make presentations or productions.

The Dog Inn asked if we could help and support them to purchase a projector, screen, speakers, sound bar and three tablets to improve the offer from the pub to other groups and make the meeting rooms more relevant. The tablets are to be used to help local residents who are not very experienced in browsing the internet to get some experience and confidence.

Pub is The Hub provided a grant from the Community Services Fund to support the purchase of the equipment.

Outcomes

The equipment is now available for use and has proved a boon to the existing groups and new organisations are showing interest. New organisations such as the WI and a church group have held meetings and are looking to use the facilities again. They are also promoting the facility to local businesses and hope to have some commercial benefit to the pub as well which will help subsidise other events and provide support for employment.

Lessons to Learn

It is important to continue to reassess the pub’s facilities and services offered to remain relevant to the local community.