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Community-owned pub calls out for volunteers

Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Ickleton Lionhearted A group of people are standing outside and drinking tea in the sunshine outside the Ickleton Lion Pub. Many have been gardening and are wearing wellies. There are two picnic benches on the grass and one has multiple flasks on top. The pub is in the background of the photo. One of its windows on the top floor has been boarded up.Ickleton Lionhearted
The pub was put up for sale by Greene King in 2023 and bought by the Ickleton Lionhearted group, who raised £440,000 to become the new owners

Villagers who rallied together to buy the last remaining pub in their area are appealing for volunteers.

The 300-year-old Ickleton Lion, situated between Cambridge and Saffron Walden, Essex, was bought by a community benefit society last year.

Since collecting the keys, the Ickleton Lionhearted group said they had received a cash boost of more than £50k from three grants to support the pub's renovation.

Committee member, Jo Hancock, said the money would provide the tools and equipment to get the pub ready, but they still "desperately" needed more volunteers and power to pull it all together in time for summer.

Ickleton Lionhearted A room under renovation inside the pub which contains a long wooden bench and some chairs, which have been turned upside down. There is a pair of silver ladders in the centre of the room. Ickleton Lionhearted
The Ickleton Lion was successfully bought by a community benefit society of more than 400 shareholders

The committee said hopes for a pint or two in the sunshine this summer were a step closer to reality for residents.

Many rallied together to raise more than £440,000 in 10 weeks to buy the pub, which had sat empty for more than a year.

Since receiving the keys, villagers and owners of the pub have been volunteering hundreds of hours to restore the Lion on a tight budget.

It has since received a grant of £26,464 from the Thalia WB Community Fund to buy brand new kitchen equipment.

A grant of £22,458 was also given as part of the Net Zero Villages Grant scheme and £1,844 was provided through a Community Chest.

Rachel Radford, chair of the Lionhearted community group, said: "These grants are a game-changer and will allow us to realise the full potential of the pub and garden.

"We now have the funds to achieve our vision for the Ickleton Lion as a sustainable business that can serve the community for years to come.

"With this funding, we can provide a comfortable, welcoming environment for both staff and customers, making the pub a thriving hub for socialising, dining, and community events."

More than 70 volunteers have worked on the pub, but there is still "huge amounts of work left to be done", said Ms Hancock.

"If you've got a spare few hours to join the Lion Crew and help with painting and decorating, DIY and repairs, garden work, cleaning or general handywork, please do email us."

Ickleton Lionhearted A group of people standing inside a building that is under renovation. They are all talking amongst themselves. There is a bucket of paint, paint stripper and tools on the tables. Ickleton Lionhearted
"We'll provide refreshments, just bring your own mug," says Ms Hancock during a call for more volunteers

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