Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The Protect Our Fox community interest company was set up in 2021 to buy the Fox Inn after its owners, Stonegate, decided to sell it.

The group is holding an open day this Saturday (October 7) at the Middle Barton Sports and Social Club as a chance for the community to come and ask them questions about them buying the pub.

Richard Brown, MBE from the Protect Our Fox CIC, said: "When we applied to have it listed as an asset of community value in 2021, we saw exactly how important the pub was to the community.

Residents of Middle Barton are holding an open day this Saturday to raise money and awareness about buying the Fox Inn.

"Villagers remembered live music events, beer festivals, crop swaps, history talks, pub quizzes, and so much more."

The concerned village residents formed The Bartons Community Benefit Society Ltd to raise the £495,000 asking price and initiated a six-month moratorium period, meaning the owner of the pub can only sell it to a relevant community group until the deadline of December 27.

Richard said: "We have commissioned business feasibility studies and structural surveys and have collected £75,000 in pledges. If we are successful, we will appoint tenants who share our vision to run the pub. Shareholders will get a say in who makes up the management committee and some of the bigger decisions it will make."Our vision for Fox is to create an independent, community-owned pub that is a welcoming village hub offering exceptional food, vibrant community events, and genuine connections while complementing other local spaces within our village.

"We will return the Fox to its place at the heart of the community as an employer and business, but we also have exciting plans to develop its role as a community hub too!"

The open day will coincide with the village’s community apple pressing event and will feature a question and answer session with members of the Protect Our Fox group between 2pm and 4pm.

For more information on the campaign or Saturday’s open day visit https://ourfox.org/ or the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MBcommunitypub

Residents of Middle Barton hold fundraising day to save their village pub