A COMMUNITY group in Ashton near Chester has surpassed its initial target of £250,000 as it looks to restore a popular village pub.

Ashton Hayes Community Hub Ltd (AHCHL) reached an agreement to purchase the Golden Lion, turning the pub which has been closed for more than a decade into a hub for residents.

The £250,000 target, which was to be raised in the form of community shares, has been smashed with the current total standing at £281, 250.

An overall target for the project was set at £625,000, with £360,000 secured from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities via the UK Community Ownership Fund (COF).

AHCHL say that this amount provides the means to refurbish and reopen the Golden Lion, with “a small contingency fund.”

The group have also been working tirelessly to get the pub back to its former glory, as it revealed in a recent update on the Golden Lion’s social media page:

“We had a very productive volunteer session this week, clearing space for the solar panel battery installation and prepping for installation of the plasterboards. We also had some structural work done to the beer garden and the electrician and CCTV people had their final visit before first fix begins. Also, work began on the internal flooring. The best news is, that we now have a staircase so no more climbing up the ladder!

“Next week the pathway groundworks begin, the CCTV is being installed and the flooring work continues. We also have two volunteer sessions planned to clear old piping, cabling and plaster in the hallway, strip the wallpaper upstairs and insulate the downstairs external wall.

“Progress is going well but there is still a lot of work to do, so if you haven’t yet purchased shares or would like to increase your investment please consider doing so now.”

The share offer has also been extended until December 20, 2024.

AHCHL recent won the One to Watch Category for the 2024 Rural Community Business Awards, at an awards ceremony held at Coin Street Conference Centre in London.

More information on the project can be found at: https://goldenlionashtonhayes.co.uk/.