A RURAL community fighting to save their village pub has until the end of play on Saturday to raise over £11,000.

The Miners Arms, Nenthead, has been at the heart of the village for generations, first opening its doors nearly 200 years ago. It closed in 2020 and has not reopened following the pandemic - it is now for sale.

Being deprived of this ‘focal point of the village’, the residents of Nenthead created the Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd as a Community Benefit Society to bring back their beloved Miners Arms.

They need to raise at least £95,000, a figure which currently stands at just below £84,000.

Hoping for a grant of over £360,000 from the Government's Community Ownership Fund (COF), the community's efforts were halted by the announcement of General Elections.

Consequently, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities postponed all disclosures related to the fund until the commissioning of a new government.

The group’s treasurer Mac McKenzie said: “The community is really missing it, it was a real focal point of the village.

“Everybody who has donated so far, your money is safe, so if the pub purchase isn’t successful, you will get your money back.

“If anybody feels they are able to add to their investment, they would be more than welcome to do so,” he said.

A share offer was launched on May 4 and closes on Saturday, June 15. Shares are £1 each with a minimum investment of 100 shares.

Owning shares means you will be a member of the Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd and will own a piece of the village.

For more information, visit www.MinersArmsNenthead.com