CAMPAIGNERS trying to save a village pub are raising the cash needed to buy the building.

More than 100 people packed the Grindleton Pavilion to attend the launch of the share offer to purchase the Duke of York pub on September 18.

It comes after both pubs in Grindleton, the Duke of York and The Buck, have closed.

A group has been set up to try to take the Duke over and use it as a pub and a community facility.

Chris Grainger, from the group, said: “We have pledges from people to raise £180,000 but we are looking to get £270,000.

“The Plunkett Foundation, which helps rural groups in our situation, are helping us to try to match the money to buy it.

“We had 100 people offering to give us money and now we are opening the share offer so we can get it.

“It is such a vital building as we have no other meeting places in the village.

“We aim to run the Duke of York as a community pub and café that is inclusive and welcoming, serving reasonably priced, good quality food and drink in a friendly setting.

“This will be a sustainable business that is owned by the community and run for the benefit of the community it serves.

“Social opening hours will make our pub and café an accessible place to visit, catch up with friends and meet new people.”

John Halley, chairman of the steering group added: "We now have until 16th November 2019 (the closing date of the share offer) to raise the £270,000 that is still needed to save the pub."

The group is doing a leaflet drop to let people know about the options to invest as well as downloading the prospectus from the Grindleton pub website.

Chris added: “The pub is not allowed to be sold for six months as we are trying to raise money to buy it and they can’t put planning permission in on it.

“It is not a race against time to get the money but we know that there are some holes in the roof and as winter approaches the weather will get worse.

“The sooner we can get the money and ownership of the building the better.

“We want to bring it back to the condition it should be in.”

More information is available on the website: www.grindletonpub.co.uk