The George Community Pub stands at the centre of the village of Bethersden in Kent. It has been a drinking establisment since the 17th century and became a licensed pub in 1841. For decades it has been the centre of village life and locals refer to it as ‘the heart of the village’. Following the pub’s closure in 2020, local residents came together to form ‘The George Community’ with the aim of saving and reopening it as a community enterprise. On 11th July 2021 the group applied to the FCA to form the Community Benefit Society and The George Community Limited became a legal entity on 2nd August 2021. The group also began organising a number of successful pop-up social events - both outdoors and at the Village Hall - to try to keep both the community spirit of the pub alive and to raise funds to help mount a bid to buy the premises. With the support of Ashford Borough Council, Bethersden Parish Council, the Plunkett Foundation and local MP Damian Green, a successful share offer was launched at the end of November 2022 which raised £300K in just a few weeks. With part-matched funding from the Government’s Community Ownership Scheme, the purchase was agreed and The George Community took possession of the pub at the beginning of February 2023. There followed several months of external and internal refurbishment before the pub reopened - serving drinks only - at the end of May 2023. A daytime cafe service began at the end of June, with plans to start serving food as soon as a major kitchen refit was completed which happened by Christmas 2023 when our chef Jim joined the team. We look forward to going from strength to strength in the future, building our services and events. CLICK HERE: To find out more on THE GEORGE COMMUNITY website.

THE GEORGE COMMUNITY

ABOUT US

The George Community Pub stands at the centre of the village of Bethersden in Kent. It has been a drinking establisment since the 17th century and became a licensed pub in 1841. For decades it has been the centre of village life and locals refer to it as ‘the heart of the village’. Following the pub’s closure in 2020, local residents came together to form ‘The George Community’ with the aim of saving and reopening it as a community enterprise. On 11th July 2021 the group applied to the FCA to form the Community Benefit Society and The George Community Limited became a legal entity on 2nd August 2021. The group also began organising a number of successful pop-up social events - both outdoors and at the Village Hall - to try to keep both the community spirit of the pub alive and to raise funds to help mount a bid to buy the premises. With the support of Ashford Borough Council, Bethersden Parish Council, the Plunkett Foundation and local MP Damian Green, a successful share offer was launched at the end of November 2022 which raised £300K in just a few weeks. With part-matched funding from the Government’s Community Ownership Scheme, the purchase was agreed and The George Community took possession of the pub at the beginning of February 2023. There followed several months of external and internal refurbishment before the pub reopened - serving drinks only - at the end of May 2023. A daytime cafe service began at the end of June, with plans to start serving food as soon as a major kitchen refit was completed which happened by Christmas 2023 when our chef Jim joined the team. We look forward to going from strength to strength in the future, building our services and events. CLICK HERE: To find out more on THE GEORGE COMMUNITY website.
THE GEORGE Bethersden

THE GEORGE

COMMUNITY

ABOUT US

The Street, Bethersden. TN26 3AG info@thegeorgebethersden.com 01233 820235
THE GEORGE Bethersden