Villagers celebrate after completing community pub purchase

The Black Horse, at Grimston, which has been a pub since 1753, is now set to reopen this year after being closed since January 2020 when the owners said it was no longer financially sustainable.

The Black Horse Community Group (BHCG) was formed to ensure the pub was retained as a local amenity and this afternoon (Tuesday) it confirmed that contracts had been exchanged and completed on the purchase.

Members thanked ‘the generosity’ of people in Grimston, Saxelbye & Shoby plus pub owners, Haydn, Sally and David Wakefield for helping to make it happen.

Group chair, Mike Petty, said “This has only been possible due to the support of the community, the pub owners, and the government’s Community Ownership Fund.

"We are also grateful for the support from our parish council, the Plunkett Foundation, Melton Borough Council, our ward councillor Ronan Browne and our MP, Alicia Kearns.”

More than £230,000 was raised through a share issue to 178 community members last summer.

The group also secured a government grant of nearly £250,000 and a £3,000 borough community grants towards the purchase.

“We now start the hard work of carrying out a renovation and repair program to enable the pub to reopen later in 2023,” the group commented today.

“At the same time we will be looking to secure someone willing to take on the tenancy of our community-owned pub and details will be on our website soon.”