THE RED LION COMMUNITY GROUP

About us...

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When the Red Lion was offered for sale, this triggered the Community Right to Bid as the pub is designated as an Asset of Community Value (see the History page).

A large number of local residents turned out in summer 2021 to discuss whether or not the community wished to pursue this and the answer was a resounding ‘Yes’! This now gives us until December 2021 to put a bid together.

A further meeting in July attracted over 35 people who wished to be involved in one way or another. A smaller committee was formed to take things forward under the chairmanship of Bridget Green.

Many people outside the village would say that as we have The Plough, why do we think it is important to save the Red Lion? There are a number of reasons:

Given its location and the availability of the garden, many local fundraising events have used the facility in the past e.g. the Annual Summer Ball, the annual Party in the Park, and the Stathern Duathlon.  Although the events mentioned are annual events, they are big income generators for the village.  There were numerous smaller events throughout the year, which utilised the Red Lion’s facilities. 

We have no significant car parking space in the village, and its central location near to the school is important. For at least the last 14 years, (prior to the current owner taking over the pub) parents had been able to use the car park to drop off and collect their children from the primary school and to attend school events, There is no roadside parking outside the school due to the narrow nature of the roads so drop off and pick up is now not nearly so safe for the children.

Owing to its close proximity to the church and also to the cemetery, it is an ideal place to meet before and after a service as well as providing refreshments and important car parking space, particularly for large events in the church (weddings, funerals, christenings). Similar to the school, the church does not have any car parking space and it is located on narrow roads.

As well as fund raising, the pub also hosted local events such as the local Jazz Club, birthday parties and celebratory events for residents and ran Band Nights, which were a great excuse for a village get together. The pub provided a great sense of togetherness and community feel, which has been lost since the closure. 

The location of the pub right next door to the children’s play park provides an ideal place for parents to sit and socialise whilst keeping a close eye on play. Considerable investment has been made by the parish over the last few years to provide an interesting and fun play area for young children.   Having access to the Red Lion would support the use of the play park and encourage outdoor play and make it accessible at various times and to parents who live outside the village. 

So we think the Red Lion is worth saving. Do you? If so please join us!

Our first step was to produce a survey, which is important to inform us of wider local opinion and whether or not a community bid is viable. It will also help us to access consultancy and funding. If you haven’t yet filled it in, then you can access it HERE.

If you would like to be put on our mailing list to receive updates on our progress, please let us know via the Contact Us page. You can also follow our group on Facebook.

We do have an immediate need for funds to help us put the bid together, such as paying for the in-depth valuation – we estimate we need approx. £3000 in all. If you would like to contribute to this then there are various ways you can do this:

Via cash or cheque (made out to The Red Lion Community Group) and delivered to The Pines, 13 Harby Lane, Stathern LE14 4HJ or 2 Birds Lane, Stathern, LE14 4EY

Via PayPal to RedLionCommunityGroup@gmail.com

Via BACS (Account name: Red Lion Community Group, Sort Code: 54-21-47, Account Number 37081179).

Please help us to SAVE THE RED LION!