“It’s not just a pub – it will be a community hub”, says the community which is campaigning to save its local pub. The Lowther Arms Community Project (LACP) is looking to raise £300,000 to purchase, reopen and transform the Lowther Arms at Mawbray into a community enterprise. Christopher Atkinson, a spokesman for the community project, said: “This is not just about buying a pub, it’s about preserving the heritage in our village, investing in the future of the parish for our locals, our visitors and the businesses that rely on tourism. “If we don’t buy the pub it’s likely to be lost forever. “The parish council was successful in having the pub listed as an asset of community value, which ensures the community has the right to bid when listed for sale.” To buy, reopen and transform the pub the group needs to raise money through donations by selling shares in the Lowther Arms Community Project Limited. All shareholders would become members of the society, each owning a piece of the pub. “There is a growing market for community pubs and evidence that if the community is invested in the project they will make more effort to use the pub and contribute to its success,” added Mr Atkinson. “We know from our research that 86 per cent of the local community would use the pub on a regular basis and we’re planning to extend what the pub has to offer, introducing better broadband, and additional services including a cafe, shop and revitalised caravan and camping site.” LACP has already received some pledges, but it is now looking for support from the wider public and businesses. Pulling in all aspects of the community, it has created a socially distanced community video and is encouraging people to spread the word about the share offer by sharing videos and messages on their Facebook page, @lowtherarmscommunityproject. LACP is receiving a package of specialist business advice and a £2,500 bursary from More Than A Pub, which is a £2.2m programme established to help support community ownership of pubs in England, funded by Power to Change. It is being delivered by Plunkett Foundation in collaboration with Co-operative & Community Finance, Key Fund, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), Co-operative Mutual Solutions, Pub is the Hub, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Locality. When a group is ready to purchase a pub, More Than A Pub can offer a combined finance package of up to £100,000, made up of a loan and grant. Plunkett Foundation’s executive director, James Alcock, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to support The Lowther Arms Community Project which is working hard to make sure their community can benefit from everything that having a thriving local pub brings. “Pubs that are owned and run by the community are so much more than a place to buy a drink; they provide important social spaces and services for local people and are central to their community’s sense of place and identity.” Explaining how people can buy a slice of the Lowther Arms, Mr Atkinson said: “Firstly, you need to be over 18 years to invest. "Shares cost £50 each with a minimum investment of £100 and you can buy as many as you want up to 600 shares, £30,000 in value. Individuals, groups and businesses can also invest – and they can also be bought as a gift. The application form is on our website or one can be posted out on request. It may seem a difficult task, but we know community owned pubs do work. “In the UK, 122 pubs have been taken over by community cooperatives, reinvigorating pubs that were once struggling businesses. And since 2004, not one community pub has closed.”