Octypus

For most villages a pub provides an important service to its community and people.  

It’s a meeting place, communication centre and an important lynchpin of village life.  It can also be an important connection with the world beyond the front door.  

Much of the appeal of our village rests in its sense of community.  It is the reason many people have moved and remain here. That’s why, when the pub closed in March 2020 and the community was approached to buy it, we jumped at the chance.  

A group of volunteers came together to understand whether there was appetite and the support from the community to do so.  The answer was a resounding ‘yes’.  The Silks has long had a strong following and been well regarded for its great food and drink and warm welcome. As a result, the volunteers formed the Ogbourne Community Pub Society (OCtyPuS) (a community benefit society) to establish a financially and commercially sound community pub, providing a high-quality local dining and drinking experience as well as a central hub for community engagement, services and benefits. 

Communities that come together to form community benefit societies are proving increasingly popular and successful.  The benefits of a community owned pub include creating local employment, supporting local activities, injecting money into the local economy, as well as helping to sustain local property prices.