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Heart of the community beats again!

Meet the people of Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute who talk about the journey of owning and running the community-owned pub, The Anchor Tavern.

The project was made possible through a partnership between Plunkett UK and Development Trusts Association Scotland, with funding from the Scottish Government's Scottish Rural Network.

Organisation name: Port Bannatyne Development Trust

Funding received: Business Support from Scottish Rural Network - Scottish Government

Date awarded: 01/04/2024

Location: Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute

The Scottish Rural Network (SRN) fund the Scottish Rural and Island Community Pub Network, which is delivered by Plunkett UK on our behalf.

The network supports rural and island community groups seeking to develop or take ownership of a pub within their community.

This case study video highlights how the people of Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute developed and opened a community-owned pub. They share details and insights of their journey to owning and running their establishment, The Anchor Tavern.

The Anchor Tavern group on Isle of Bute has now taken on the adjacent building as a pop-up hub, wine bar and restaurant, engaging different local catering businesses each time (therefore supporting the wider local economy on the island). The group plans to open a community bakery in the next vacant building along, creating a venue for two local bakers to operate from, and a kids’ recreation facility inside an old church, which is a testament to the confidence and agency this community now feels in making an enormous change to their own facilities and services in Port Bannatyne.

The Anchor Inn community pub project was supported through a partnership between Plunkett UK and Development Trusts Association Scotland.

Plunkett UK is a national charity with a vision for resilient, thriving and inclusive rural communities. To achieve this, they support people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses which are genuinely owned by local communities, whereby members have equal and democratic control.

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