The Railway Inn Community Pub needs YOU!
Are you willing and able to pledge financial support to secure the Railway Inn as a community
pub?
We are moving forward with our efforts to re-establish the Railway Inn, Norton Bridge, as a
viable and sustainable community pub and now need your help to take the next step.
Since the initial public meeting in September 2025, there has been an increasing amount of
support for the campaign. Generous donations through our crowdfunding have allowed us to
make good progress, with the support of Plunkett UK, and we are now registered by the
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a Community Benefit Society (registration number 9677).
This provides the governance structure for a Community Share Scheme to be developed and
launched.
Our business planning indicates that we need to raise a minimum of £275,000 from the
community. We have already received a lot of support from both our local community and the
wider community as well, and with this support we have every confidence that the pub can
succeed and thrive.
Being registered with the FCA means that member liability is limited to the value of their shares
and that any trading profits will either be re-invested in the business or distributed for social or
charitable purposes within the community. Our Community Share Offer will enable individuals
(aged 18 and over) and corporate bodies to buy shares in the Society, making them a member of
the society and giving them a vote at the Annual General Meeting.
The Community Share Scheme
The structure of the Share Offer is as follows:
- Share value: £1
- Minimum shareholding: 250 (£250)
- Maximum shareholding: 100,000 (£100,000)
Investors must be aged 18 years or over or corporate bodies.
The minimum shareholding has been kept at an affordable level to encourage as many people
as possible to invest. The maximum shareholding is set by law.
It is possible for a group of people to come together to meet the minimum shareholding, for
example if a family wanted to come together to pledge £250 between them, then they can do
so. In the case of a group, the group or family members would elect a named representative to
attend meetings with one vote. Minors cannot be voting members.
We hope you invest as much as you feel comfortable to give us the best opportunity to bring the
Railway Inn into community ownership. The community shares will be withdrawable, subject to
the rules of the Society.
Dependent on the performance of the business, modest interest
payments may be paid annually (after the third year of trading) against each share.
Your Pledge
Pledge amounts will remain confidential. No money is taken now.
While those pledging support will be under no obligation to purchase shares once the
Community Share Offer is issued, we do ask that you think carefully about the amount you wish
to pledge, as we will use this information to assess the viability of our plans; we do not want to
risk misleading stakeholders about the level of support from within the community.
Any Questions?
We have produced an FAQ Document, and if you have any further questions, you can contact us from our website or speak to any of the steering group committee members.