A new £6.7m round of Community Ownership Fund money has been announced to help buy 32 treasured pubs, clubs and other venues at risk of closure.

To get the money, campaigners have to show losing a pub or other facility would hit the community hard and have a plan to turn it around. Every pound the government fund puts in will have to be matched by locals.

Six pubs have already been handed a total of £1.5m fund, taking it to a total of 17 helped since the beginning of the year.

The money will help community groups take ownership of institutions that have fallen into disrepair or are under threat of closure and give them a new lease of life, ensuring they continue to provide vital services, create opportunities and boost local economies.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison said: “We’re putting beloved pubs, clubs and heritage sites into the hands of local people to ensure these cherished institutions and the vital services they provide are guaranteed for future generations. With the government backing announced today, these places will continue to thrive, make a difference to people’s lives and be run by the local community for the local community.”

The Honest Miller in Brook, Kent has been saved from closure so it can return to serving food and drink overlooking the Kent Downs, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona said: “Our locals are much more than just pubs or social clubs – they are cornerstones of community life which bring people together, provide local services and help to tackle loneliness and social isolation. 

“That’s why the Community Ownership Fund is so important – offering a lifeline for groups which want to save or reopen their local for the benefit of their community.

“With community-owned pubs becoming more commonplace up and down the country, it is really encouraging to know that more beloved venues will now be able to open their doors once again thanks to this new funding.”

Pictured: campaigners at the Blue Bell, Stoke Ferry, King's Lynn, Norfolk who successfully bought their local pub