Campaign group launches fundraiser to purchase historic Peak District pub – to secure its place at the “heart of the community”

A community group is aiming to raise the funds needed to buy their local pub, the George at Alstonefield, after Marston’s Brewery confirmed their intention to sell the venue.

A spokesperson for the ‘Save The George” campaign group said: “The story of our village pub in recent years has not been a happy one. It was once a successful and very popular ale house serving wholesome pub food, but after a succession of different landlords over the last 15 years it was taken in a different direction. The trade fell off markedly and eventually it became a restaurant only business and the village effectively lost its pub.

“The community decided to list The George as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) which was subsequently granted. The restaurant business closed in 2023 after which the lease became null and void. The brewery, having taken back control, reopened The George under a temporary caretaker landlord and placed it on the open market for sale.

“Under the terms of the ACV, this notification of intention to sell triggered a six-week period for the community to consider its options. A meeting was held in June in the village hall which was packed out, and a presentation about our various options was given about community ownership models and how they work. A vote was proposed that the community should form a Society to purchase the George and apart from one abstention the vote was unanimous.”

A group spokesperson said that they hoped to safeguard the future of The George - a pub that has been an integral part of the community for hundreds of years.

They said: “The people of Alstonefield have formed this Society to “Save The George” by buying the freehold of the property from Marston's. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to secure forever the future of this wonderful pub, which has been the heart of our community for centuries.

“The community voted to do so for two reasons. First was that we have nothing to lose even if we do not subsequently succeed and secondly, if we do succeed, bringing The George under the community’s ownership will ensure that it remains a public house accessible to both the local and the wider community of visitors to this really beautiful location.”

The group also discussed how the venture would be funded - with a membership scheme being set up and donations being encouraged to help raise the amount needed to purchase the pub.

A spokesperson said: “If successful, the Society will be the owner of the pub, and will invite applications to be the tenant, probably for a five-year lease initially. The George is designated as an Asset of Community Value, which gives us the first opportunity to buy it if we can put in our offer to Marston's by late November.

“Our main source of money to buy the pub will be membership: any individual aged 18 or over can pay £50 to be a Member, with one vote at general meetings. In addition, we are asking each Member to consider lending between £1,000 and £25,000 to the Society. This will be a confidential loan meaning nobody else will know how much that Member has lent. We aim to repay that money in full within 10-15 years. We also aim to pay interest of up to 5% on the balance starting from the fourth year if we can afford to do so.

“Please note that neither the repayment of the principal nor the interest is guaranteed. This is not a purely commercial investment by the Member, it is a way to help the Society buy the pub for the benefit of the current and future community.

“To receive more detailed information about becoming a Member, please email the Treasurer with your name and preferred method of contact at [email protected] . The Treasurer will contact you within two weeks.”

£841 has already been raised from 16 donors, and the link to the group’s fundraiser can be found here. A group spokesperson added that they hoped their efforts would highlight the importance of the pub - both to the residents of Alstonefield and visitors to the area.

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They said: “Hopefully this has provided a small insight into just how important the pub is to not just our community but also the wider walking and cycling communities who enjoy this beautiful landscape just as much as we do. Please, do consider giving a contribution to our cause, and perhaps come and enjoy a pint with us.”