Ickleton pub saved by £440,000 campaign to mark one year in business
The village's last remaining pub reopened after it was put up for sale
A Cambridgeshire village's last remaining pub saved from the brink of closure will mark a year since it reopened.
More than £440,000 was raised to keep The Lion - previously known as the Ickleton Lion - open after then owners Greene King put it up for sale.
A community benefit society was set up to buy the pub, which dates back to 1728 and refurbishment has since taken place.
"Reaching our first anniversary is a huge milestone for everyone involved in the project," Jo Hancock, vice-chair of Ickleton Community Pub Limited, said.
"A year ago, we reopened the doors thanks to the support of hundreds of local people who believed our village deserved to keep its pub.
"To have gone from saving the pub to winning Cambridgeshire Pub of the Year within our first year is something we're incredibly proud of."
To mark its first anniversary, The Lion will host a day of celebrations on Saturday, June 27 including live music, a barbecue, family-friendly activities and a tropical theme inspired by the arrival of ‘International Pineapple Day’.
Hundreds of local residents come together to secure the future of the historic pub during the campaign, before Greene King accepted an offer to buy the site in 2024.
Speaking to us before the offer was granted, Rachel Radford - then chair of the Ickleton Lionhearted group - said the idea was to create "not just a pub, but a community hub.
"A village without a pub is missing something; it's a place for people to meet, but there have been research studies that show those pubs play an important part in creating social cohesion and inclusion."
Since reopening, the pub has become home to regular community activities, live music events and fundraising initiatives, in a bid to strengthen social connections within the village and surrounding area.