Micheldever Community Enterprise Society

As we emerge from a year that has proved to be unprecedented, it is appropriate for Micheldever Community Enterprise Society (MCES) to reflect on the plans laid out in 2019 vis à vis today for a community hub consisting of a pub and shop.

After an amazing input from the community, particularly our two benefactors who generously purchased it in the first place, the pub was opened in December 2019 by Paula and Andy. Their first three months indicated that the village was going to have a great pub. Then Covid struck. The impact on the hospitality sector of the measures put in place to contain Covid–whether established or start-up businesses–does not need elaborating. Many have failed as the challenges have been too great. We should be impressed that the Half Moon and Spread Eagle has survived despite being a start-up without the financial strength of a long standing enterprise. It should be noted that the excellent support of the community has been a contributory factor. As the pub emerges from the punitive restrictions, that support continues to be needed to help Paula and Andy deliver what they have shown they can when able to operate properly as a pub.

Emerging from all those restrictions is not a sudden switch from “off” to “on” and everything being wonderful in the hospitality sector. For well established businesses the challenges are lessened by the strength of strong financial reserves. For start-ups such buffers are not available. Consequently, staff are difficult to find in a hugely competitive market place for those necessary skills. It is just such a challenge that Paula and Andy currently face. To complicate matters further, Paula has been seriously unwell and unable to play a full part in the pub’s recovery, having to focus on her own recovery. However, the corner is there to be turned and the team of Charlie, Meghan, Chris and Andy are valiantly striving to get there. A little understanding of their challenge and continued support will undoubtedly help them on that journey.

The shop was Part 2 of the overall plan, to be addressed once the pub was up and running effectively. Then two factors came into play–Covid and an awareness that to put a shop on the same site as the pub would be detrimental to the ambience of the pub. MCES set about looking for an appropriate site elsewhere in the village, conscious that whatever solution was pursued a considerable amount of money would have to be raised to bring it to fruition. During these deliberations, the shop premises in the village centre were sold. This indicated that the efforts of MCES might be unwarranted and efforts were put on hold until the nature of the sale became clear.

The purchase, which is hoped to be completed imminently, is by a retailer who runs a shop in Winchester and is seeking to expand his business. His intentions are to provide a village store, meeting the needs of the community with appropriate provisioning. As soon as the purchase is complete, he hopes to have the shop open within some four weeks. On the premise that the purchase is complete before then, he intends to have an article in the August Dever magazine laying out his hopes and aspirations for a village store that the community want. MCES consider this very good news and hope that all proceeds successfully. Fingers crossed that the August Dever will be announcing the date for the opening of the store.