The Coach and Horses, Hemingby, is a traditional small village pub, on the main road at the entrance to the village, opposite the Church. The pub is actively involved in the local community and hosts the village darts, pool and dominoes teams, together with a local quiz team. The pub also supports many local charities and groups and the licensee is on the village Play Area Committee. The pub holds an annual Easter raffle and bonfire and fireworks display giving all profits to the Play Area. The pub also holds an annual Harvest Auction to raise money for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and LIVES, another medical emergency service. The pub acts as an information centre displaying posters and leaflets for local events and attractions. The pub houses the village recycling centre on their car park and provides valuable employment for the village. Hemingby village has a church, village hall, and pub, but no other services. It was recently awarded the title of ‘Lincolnshire Village of the Year 2006’ and winner of the ‘Building Community Life’ category sponsored by Defra.
The nearest market town (Horncastle) with facilities for young people is around four miles away, and there is no regular public bus service except a school bus and one bus on market day (Thursday), plus Call Connect bus on demand. There used to be a youth club in the village run by the church, but there were are no indoor facilities for young people in Hemingby, and the new room will provide a place where young people can play pool, darts, table tennis and board games, and socialise with their friends.
An outbuilding to the rear of the pub, previously used as a storeroom/coal shed, has been developed to provide a youth games room and community meeting room. The room is joined to the main bar area of the pub by a new corridor. The community have been involved in the development of the project, and consulted. A questionnaire was delivered around the village to families, asking what facilities they would like in the new room, and when returned all were in favour of games room and youth club. A letter of support was received from the Parish Council, and the pub has been given a computer from the local authority for community use and has had the offer of help on computer use by volunteers.
Young people can now meet and socialise in the village, and the separate room also provides a community meeting space for various groups who use the pub as an alternative to the village hall. Previously, the area used for dining (roughly half of the pub) was also used for meetings and games, which meant that on darts, pool and dominoes nights; meals could not be served. Therefore, the project has provide a valuable community facility and also helped to improve the viability and sustainability of the pub, as the new community room has releases space in the pub so that it can develop the food side of the business. Previously, if the pub had increased the food side, it would have been at the expense of community activities.
Total project capital costs (£18,298)
Applicant contribution (£8,298)
Grant (£10,000)
For more information telephone 01423 546165 or email enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk