David Chadwick congratulates success of community as they open local pub

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00:00It might look like a usual village pub, but the Radnor Arms in the village of New Radnor

00:05hasn't been thriving with activity for quite some time.

00:08In 2016, the pub closed its doors, the last pub in the historic village to do so.

00:13It prompted a rally cry from those in the local community to get the doors open again,

00:17and it's been a long road to get there.

00:19But now, almost 10 years later, the pub is slowly getting back on its feet again.

00:24This is tremendous.

00:25I come down here today.

00:26I never expected to see them progress the way they have, and inside it's brilliant.

00:32It's great.

00:33There's a terrific crowd here, and once they get it all going, it's going to be fantastic.

00:40I was here on a sad night when it finally closed down, but seeing it revitalized like

00:47this is great.

00:50In 2023, after much work, the community submitted an application for a community ownership fund

00:55grant in the hopes of raising enough money to buy the pub and start the necessary work

00:59to restore it to its former glory.

01:01In June, the community were awarded a grant of £240,000 with the help of Conservative

01:06MP for Brecon and Radnor, Fay Jones.

01:09The race was on for the community to match fund pound for pound to be able to access

01:13the grant, with a share offer launched for those in the community to pledge their support

01:17to get the Radnor Arms open again.

01:19In July of 2024, the community succeeded in purchasing the pub and making it community

01:24owned.

01:25Since purchase, the community have wasted no time in getting the Radnor Arms ready.

01:29They have employed local tradespeople to refurbish the inside, get a bar open, and hosted pop-in

01:34events to show the community that the Radnor Arms is back open for business, the latest

01:39event showcasing the work that has been achieved, and potentially their last pop-in event before

01:43they open on regular hours.

01:46Since securing the necessary funds to purchase the Radnor Arms, there has of course been

01:50a general election, with Conservative MP Fay Jones losing his seat to Liberal Democrat

01:55David Chadwick, who was invited to the recent event to see the progress of the pub's development

02:00since he last visited.

02:01I came here two years ago for the first time, when it was a derelict building, and now it's

02:08filled with people, good spirit, and good joy, so well done to everybody who's been

02:13involved in pulling this together.

02:15And hopefully the success of this pub will lead to other people deciding to do the same

02:20in their villages too, but we also shouldn't forget that hospitality is in a very difficult

02:25place at the moment, and we need to be doing everything we can to secure and support our

02:30hospitality businesses.

02:31And what support will David Chadwick be offering?

02:33I'll be doing everything I can to help them with grants, and also talking with potential

02:39suppliers to make sure that suppliers know that this is a place that needs support.

02:43Will you take this?

02:45No, no, I wouldn't.

02:47OK, let's go.

02:49You pulled your pint, was that the first time you pulled a pint?

02:51I've pulled a few pints in my time, cider and beer.

02:56My mum taught me how, my mum used to run the Jolly Taylor in Porthcawl, so hopefully I

03:00did her slightly proud today.

03:03The community of New Radnor have been fighting to save their last remaining village pub since

03:082016, and the busyness of today has proved that they've done it at long last.

03:12The pump will no longer be dry, and the pints will continue to flow.

03:16Jack Strange, Brecon & Radnor Express.

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