Halfway House, Polbathic, Cornwall

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Polbathic is a small village about 10 miles south west of the Torpoint ferry, which runs from Plymouth to Cornwall. The village has a population of around 300 people, a garage, and a small community shop.

The pub has had a few licensees in the past six years on tenancy agreements, but current licensees, the Stanton family, bought the freehold and were strongly committed to the community and restoring the pub as the hub of the village.

Ex international aid worker, Jessica Stanton worked for a year designing, project managing and labouring on the restoration herself and when the intended licensees decided not to carry on running the pub, Jessica and her partner Russ Matterson took over in April 2015.

PROJECT SUMMARY

To house a community micro library in the pub in partnership with Cornwall Library Services, giving longer access to a range of books and I.T. services in a comfortable environment.

OUTCOMES

Within days of opening, the library had more than 20 members. Run by Jessica and Russ, but stocked and maintained by Cornwall Council’s Library Services, the library has online access to their entire catalogue via an ordering service for any books that the library doesn’t hold.  Books are refreshed every couple of weeks.

  • Longer access to library services, in comfortable surroundings.
  • Access to IT Services
  • Access to all other Cornwall Libraries’ services
  • Access to Cornwall Council web sites (benefits and information etc.)

Reg Clarke, the advisor for Pub is The Hub who have overseen the project and provided a grant to install the shelves, signage and computer terminal added: “Jessica and Russ have decided to put their roots down in Polbathic and have already embedded themselves into the heart of their community. They are going to make the Halfway House a cracking locals’ pub.  I think Jessica’s next project has to be writing a book about their lives so far for the library!”

LESSONS TO LEARN

  • The Pub is The Hub and Cornwall Library Services partnership is successful.
  • The community ‘micro library’ model is improving with each new site opened.
  • With restricted council budgets, micro libraries are a good option.

PROJECT CAPITAL COSTS (EXCLUDING VAT)

Cornwall Library Services     £500

Pub is The Hub     £500

Licensee     £450

 

For more information telephone 01423 546165 or email enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk