Volunteer stories – Jenny

JENNY has lived in the village for 30 years – and started using it the day they moved in! She can remember no end of landlords/landladies – of which Tina might be the most unusual. She used to organise pub games; if you lost, you had to eat a chilli!

“It was dreadful when the pub shut. I remember lots of people bought bikes to travel to other pubs – and Dave went over the top and broke an arm! It’s safer having a local!

I also remember David Westley talking at that first meeting, explaining what we had to do to buy the pub. It seemed impossible! And then the board outside the pub showing the share amount started at £2,000, and crept up about £1,000 a week until it got to £7,000 and stuck – and we needed £250,000! Then Peter and Stewart started going round talking to people, and it crept up, and up, and up.

I volunteer for the future of the village, really – I love seeing the young people moving into the village, and using the pub more and more!

People say ‘Oh, I couldn’t volunteer, it’s too complicated’ – but you get trained, and then you work with someone until you’re comfortable, and there’s always someone to help. Now lots of people who were hesitant at first volunteer regularly.

I get immense pleasure from volunteering – chatting to people, meeting people who I never knew lived in the village. I’ve never known an unhappy time behind the bar – it’s wonderful!”

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