The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced the Roxwell Chequers Community Benefit Society, who saved the Chequers Inn (above) in Roxwell, Essex, as runner-up in the prestigious Pub Saving Award 2024 competition.
The Pub Saving Award recognises people that have come together to save a pub that would have otherwise been demolished or converted to another use. It aims to secure publicity for pub-saving campaigns to encourage others to save their local.
The Chequers Inn in Roxwell, Essex, had been closed since January 2020. With the pub under threat of being converted to housing, the Roxwell Chequers Community Benefit Society (RCCBS) was formed, with the aim to raise the funds to buy and refurbish the Chequers Inn, re-establishing it as a homely, traditional country pub.
The two-year project, starting in 2022, generated great enthusiasm and commitment from the village of Roxwell and surrounding area, with public meetings regularly attracting over 150 people. The campaign even drew supporters from as far as Australia and the USA.
In 2024, the parish of 1,100 people managed to raise a total of £675k from shareholders and grant funding to buy and renovate the Chequers Inn, with ownership being transferred to the community in April. This was made possible through the amazing £400k share issue in March 2024, the successful Community Ownership application and an array of local funding activities, including a classic car cruise and beer festivals.
The project recruited a small army of volunteers to help with the renovation of the pub, reinstatement of the garden and the entire refurbishment of the tenant’s two-bedroom accommodation.
Emma Swift, Community Engagement Officer for the Roxwell Chequers Community Benefit Society said:
“We are deeply honoured to be recognised by CAMRA as runners-up in the Pub Saving Award. This acknowledgment is a testament to the incredible efforts of our community, who came together to save The Chequers and restore its role as the beating heart of Roxwell.
“While we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, this is just the beginning. The Chequers is well on its way to reopening as a vibrant, inclusive space that welcomes everyone. We hope our story inspires others to rally behind their local pubs and reminds people just how vital these spaces are to our communities.”
Pub Saving Award Coordinator Paul Ainsworth said:
“When a pub closes, it is incredibly hard to open the doors again, with many losing the battle to conversion or demolition. That is why these awards are so important, the hard work and dedication shown by these campaigns to save local pubs deserve recognition. They are all inspirational stories, that will hopefully encourage more pub saving campaigns, so future generations can enjoy the wonderful sense of community that only a pub can provide.
“2024 marked the one-year anniversary of the wanton destruction of the Crooked House pub in Himley, serving as a grim reminder that pubs in the wrong hands can sadly disappear. January is a tough time for pubs, so please make sure to support your local and seek out beautiful heritage pubs across the UK.”
The winner of the Pub Saving Award was the Old Horn Community Pub Society who saved the Old Horn Inn in Spennithorne, North Yorkshire. The Old Horn Inn, a pub over 200 years old, closed suddenly in 2022 with planning application submitted to convert it into housing. Villagers banded together to protect the pub from this fate and succeeded in reopening the pub under community ownership on 21 May 2024, putting the heart back into the village.
The pubs will be presented with the award at forthcoming events organised by the respective local CAMRA branches in early 2025.
Notes to editors
For photos, contact press@camra.org.uk
CAMRA has detailed guides and resources for anybody looking to save their local here: camra.org.uk/save-your-local-pub
More information about the Pub Saving Award can be found here: camra.org.uk/awards/pub-saving?selected_year=2024
Find out more about the Old Horn here: oldhorncommunity.org
More information about the Chequers Inn here: savethechequersroxwell.co.uk
