The Drewsteignton community has successfully saved its local pub from closure following a crowdfunding campaign which raised over £500,000 to open the pub as a community venture.

The crowdfunding campaign to rescue the Drewe Arms for the community ended on November 12 and raised a total of £552,875 which will allow residents to open the building and restart the business as a community pub.

Campaign organisers were handed the keys on November 30

Imogen Clements, a member of the steering group responsible for saving the pub, said: “Fortunately the £552,875 allows us to do just that and by borrowing very little, but…this will take time. So, we’re not looking to reopen fully until the spring of next year, but there will be a number of occasions when we will open the doors to the public to hold pop-up pub nights. In the same way we did before, only this time inside.

“As soon as we have keys the big clean-up begins. We are therefore asking for volunteers to help with sorting out the garden, clean up, removals of junk etc.”

The steering group and residents intend for the pub to serve as a community hub, which can host activities such as exercise classes, film and sporting event screenings, music and arts events, open-mic nights, as well as wedding receptions and local celebrations once reopened.

In October the steering group organised a pop-up pub event to kickstart the four-week fundraising campaign to save the pub.