Community rally to save pub

DONATIONS have poured in after a group hoping to save a Brydekirk pub announced they must raise £35,000 by the middle of January.

And The Brig Inn Community Pub and Hub have raised more than half of their target in the last week.

Over £95,000 of funding for the group who want to purchase the pub, which closed during the pandemic, and bring it back to life has already been attained following a grant from the Scottish Land Share Fund.

However, a £35,000 funding gap remains.

At a meeting last Thursday night, those in attendance unanimously voted to press forward with submitting an offer to the owners of the property.

The group must have the building under ownership by the end of March, so the extra money is needed by the middle of next month to allow time for conveyancing.

Group secretary Evie Bywaters said: “We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity shown over the past week.

“Reaching just over £11,000 on Crowdfunder and just over £10,000 in offline donations so quickly is a fantastic milestone and a real testament to the community’s support.

“We still have work to do to reach our £35,000 target, but this momentum gives us huge confidence as we move into the next phase of fundraising – this is really a now-or-never moment for the project.”

You can view the group’s Crowdfunder page at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-brig-inn