Skeeby Community Pub Society

Skeeby’s pub, The Travellers Rest, closed in 2008. Until the early 2000s it had been successfully run privately. It then was sold to a commercial pub company whose rent levels made the business uneconomic. In 2010 a private developer bought the building, and applied for planning permission to convert it to a house.

Local residents opposed the application, and formed the SCPS to raise funds to purchase and restore the pub. The campaign received much support and advice from other communities similarly working to save their local pubs. The Plunkett Foundation, a British charity which works with communities to help them create and run businesses, has been particularly helpful.

Richmond District Council accepted the registration of The Travellers Rest as an Asset of Community Value. Pledges of funds from locals and others far away were made, and in 2021 agreement to buy the building was finally reached with its owner. Renovation plans were approved, and work commenced. Volunteers gave many hours of labour, and professionals were hired for their specialisms.

The Travellers Rest reopened for business in May 2023. The SCPS’s committee leases the premises to a tenant who runs the pub business. The tenant pays rent to the SCPS, and the committee, on behalf of the SCPS shareholders who provided funds for the pub’s purchase and restoration, is responsible for the pub building and facilities.

SCPS welcomes Shareholders joining its management committee. Enquires to : secretary@thetravellersrestskeeby.com

Share Purchase Terms and Conditions

Shares in the Skeeby Community Pub Society (SCPS) were sold to raise money to buy the pub and pay for its refurbishment. That was accomplished when the pub reopened in May 2023. More, however, can be done to ensure the pub's success for the foreseeable future. To that end the Board of Directors (aka management committee) seeks to sell further shares.

The rules that govern SCPS make plain that all Members (ie, shareholders), including the Directors, will not benefit financially from the activities of SCPS, other than in receiving any dividend payments. The rules also state that Members will be rewarded primarily through a 'social' dividend, rather than a monetary dividend.

Members must understand that the value of their shares will not increase. Their shares are not transferable, ie, cannot be sold or given away to anyone else. This arrangement allows SCPS to be exempt from the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FS+M Act) in regard to share issues.

Members may, however, sell their shares back to SCPS, after giving the required notice of three months. But the Directors do have the authority to refuse to buy back shares if they consider that would endanger the business; in other words, if they think that SCPS cannot afford to do so at the present time.

The sale by SCPS of shares is not regulated by the FS+M Act because such shares in SCPS are not 'securities' for the purpose of those regulations. SCPS, therefore is not authorised by the Financial Services Authority. If SCPS fails its Members have no right of complaint to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman.

Click Here to view form for Individual Shares

Click Here to view form for Corporate Shares

Click Here to view form for Gift Shares

Click Here to view form for Joint Shares