Community pub launches fundraiser to buy building

A community pub in Brighton has launched a fundraiser to buy its building, after the landlord confirmed they now have a year to purchase the premises for a fixed price.

The Bevy pub in Moulsecoomb opened its doors in December 2014, four years after the old Bevendean pub closed.

Landlord, East Brighton Trust, intended to sell the building last month but now the Bevy Committee has been told it has 12 months to raise the £500,000 needed to become outright owners.

Committee chair, Warren Carter, said: "We have a year to make community ownership happen. No one built this place alone, and no one needs to buy it alone either."

The committee is aiming to raise £600,000 to cover both the purchase and essential improvements and costs.

It says it hopes this funding to come from a combination of donations, grants, loans and investment, starting with an initial £100,000 contribution from supporters.

As a community pub which is "busy, profitable and loved", Carter said they are "starting from a strong place".

Gary Pleece, CEO of East Brighton Trust said: "The Bevy has been a real asset to its community for years, and it's the committee, staff and volunteers who've made that happen."

Pleece said the landlord's job is to give the community "the time and the support to get the chance to build a sustainable future that they're in full control of".

The Bevy runs a number of events for the local community, including a senior's club, monthly disability disco and a memory moments dementia café.

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