THE VALE OF AERON - THE AERON VALLEY COMMUNITY PUB COMPANY LTD

The Aeron Valley Community Pub Company Ltd is in the early process of purchasing a local pub The Vale of Aeron (known as the 'Vale' Inn) in Ystrad Aeron to be run as a community enterprise.

The Vale of Aeron lies within the heart of the community, a centre for local activities and a prime location where local groups convene following other events in the surrounding area. As well as the activities, the pub is a popular place for people to come and have evening meals and Sunday lunches.

Tafarn Cymunedol Dyffryn Aeron Cyf is a Community Benefit Society, which has recently been formed, created by local people to secure the future of the 'Vale' Inn in Ystrad Aeron. Its aim is to create a community hub for the benefit of the local community. Work is underway, which is being led locally by the newly formed company and is being supported by the Wales Co-op Centre.

The company plan to buy The ‘Vale' Pub to run it as a co-op by selling shares. The Share Purchase Offer will be open to the community and the general public, with the money raised, along with grants and loans from other sources, intended to be used to buy and renovate the pub.

The aim of the project is to commission a company to work collaboratively with The Aeron Valley Community Pub Company Ltd to carry out feasibility work in order to:

Provide an analysis of current needs and provision within the specific area.
Identify potential alternative uses for the 'Vale' and its facilities to support further investment proposals and applications.
Build on current momentum and conduct further engagement and consultation with a variety of stakeholders.
Understand current local capacity in terms of skills and expertise to identify skills gap.
Learn from other models and facilities elsewhere.
Create an analysis of the Vale's potential positive relationship with sustaining the local Welsh language and culture in the Aeron Valley.

The outcome of this feasibility project shall be hugely beneficial to the Vale’s surrounding community and to Ceredigion as a whole. In due time, following completion of the feasibility study, a case study shall be created and available for any other organisation interested in developing their own projects to run establishments as a community enterprise.

For further information on the project go to https://www.tafarn.cymru/

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.