A campaign has been launched by punters in Bosham to buy their beloved pub which they feel was shut unnecessarily.
The White Swan next to the Broadbridge Roundabout closed at the end of February, angering locals who felt it was still viable as a business.
Now they have formed action group Save Our Swan in a bid to buy the pub and run it through a board of truste
es.
Bosham Parish Council chairman Patsy West is holding a pubic meeting on Wednesday, May 20, at 7.30pm at St Nicholas Church Hall in Brooks Lane to gauge how much interest there is in the idea.
"It does need a pub here. Once it's gone, it's gone," she said. "We are working to see how far we can get with it. If it falls flat we will go away. If the meeting shows a high level of public support then we will carry on.
"Most people we have spoken to are really keen on the idea.
"It's an historical building and it's a much-needed community facility, not only somewhere for people to drink but somewhere to meet.
"If people have got management skills then we would want to hear from them."
She said if 1,000 people were to put £450 each into the kitty enough money could be raised to buy the pub.
The group has sent out a questionnaire to villagers asking them how they feel about the idea.
Ex-landlord of the White Swan Stuart Webb said: "It just needs tidying up. If it is run like a club I think it would work. It would be quite profitable.
"I think it would be a very good idea, it would be very popular.
"It does look a mess down there and it needs an awful lot of work inside it."
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) group has been running a national campaign to keep local pubs open.
Surrey and Sussex regional director for CAMRA Roy Bray said pubs run by communities have proved successful. There are around five community-run pubs in the south east.
He said: "The ones run by communities are working quite well, as long as they have got the help from people and you have got people willing to put the effort in."
Between 30 and 40 pubs are closing around the country every week.
Research carried out by CAMRA shows that 84 per cent of people believe a pub is as essential to village life as a shop or post office.
Anyone with any questions should call Patsy West on 01243 574433.
What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.
Click here to go back to Chichester news
Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news
Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news
To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.
MAP
