The MP for Penrith has thrown his weight behind the Bampton Valley Community Pub project.
Neil Hudson met with the team behind the project working to ‘Save a Pub for the Valley’ and has thrown his full support behind it.
The villages of Bampton, Bampton Grange, Butterwick, Burnbanks, Knipe and Rosgill lie towards the southwestern edge of Dr Hudson’s constituency of Penrith and the Border. Over the last five years, the area has lost both pubs.
This new initiative aims to secure The Mardale Inn as a community-owned pub keeping money in the local economy to support employment, and helping address other challenges of the area such as community cohesion and social isolation.
The team needs to rapidly raise over £360,000 and is launching its community share offer tomorrow.
Dr Hudson said: “I met the BVCP team at the delightful Mardale Inn and this has really confirmed to me why community pubs are such important initiatives. Rural areas need community and pubs like this can be at the heart of that.
“A welcoming local pub helps forge friendships that sustain people through challenging times. I am 100% behind this project. I really encourage folk to join in the share offer and I am wishing the team every success and looking forward to supporting their campaign further.”
