We’re holding a meeting for investors, potential investors, and supporters of Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd. (LCPL) on Tuesday 11th June at 7.30 pm in Littlehempston Church

If you want to see the Tally Ho re-opened and are thinking of buying shares in LCPL, but have got some questions, or you’d like to meet the people behind the project – then this meeting’s for you.

And if you’ve already bought shares in LCPL then this meeting’s for you too !  Work has started on plans for the look and feel, the menu and drinks offering, of a re-opened Tally Ho, but it’s important that all the shareholders – the members – of LCPL get the opportunity to contribute to the plans for their pub.

Dartmoor and Teignworthy breweries have each agreed to provide small barrels of beer for us to sample, and we’re hoping to have some wines and other drinks available to try too.

Hope to see you there – cheers !

Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd. has received an enthusiastic letter of support from our local MP Dr Sarah Wollaston. She writes:

‘I was delighted to hear about the campaign to rescue the wonderful Tally Ho Inn in Littlehempston.  Pubs are at the heart of our local communities and I wish the best of luck to all those who are working to bring back this historic pub’

The Tally Ho is on the route of the proposed cyclepath that would link Totnes to several villages to the north, and Sarah is well known as a strong supporter of that path.  The path will be part of National Cycle Network route 2 (NCN2) which runs all the way from Dover in Kent to St Austell in Cornwall, but it will also make it easy and pleasant to travel a couple of miles out of Totnes on foot or cycle to a re-opened Tally Ho.

We’ve finally had a letter from Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirming that  we will qualify for the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), based on the information we supplied to them in our draft Share Prospectus and Business Plan (we applied for this Advance Assurance on 30th March).  Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd. has to ensure that it complies with the conditions relating to the company and its trade throughout the first three years, and individual share holders also have to ensure that they comply with the conditions relating to investors.  There’s much more information available on HMRC’s website.

Sadly Alison Batten has had to resign from Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd.’s Management Committee for personal reasons.  Alison is a former pub manager and landlord, has worked as a barmaid at the Tally Ho, and still holds a license, so she’s been a huge help in bringing the project this far.  She made a major contribution in developing our Business Plan.  She remains firmly committed to re-opening and securing the future of the Tally Ho by organising a co-operative to buy and run it, wants to be kept informed of progress, and remains available as an advisor.

Luckily we’ve also got a new recruit on the Management Committee.  She’s Kathryn Hill who lives in Torquay but has been a frequent visitor to the Tally Ho since she and her husband Graham got engaged there on 27th April 1974 – and they probably went there before that too !  Kathryn is recently retired after 45 years working locally in the motor trade, insurance, Nationwide Building Society, Torbay Hospital and Torquay Boys’ Grammar School on the clerical side.  She knows only too well how widespread the reputation of the Tally Ho is right across the South Hams, so should be a great help in spreading the word.

The next phase of the campaign to secure the future of the Tally Ho is finally here.  The share offer to raise the funds to buy and re-open the Tally Ho was launched on 1st May.  There’s a new, dedicated website at www.littlehempstoncommunitypub.co.uk with all the details of the offer including the formal Share Prospectus and Business Plan.  And the bubbling Pub-O-Meter at the bottom of every page will keep you up to date on how the share offer’s going !

The community did a great job in opposing the planning applications for the pub which eventually saw them withdrawn – now we need to pull together to buy the pub and re-open it.  So please visit www.littlehempstoncommunitypub.co.uk, have a good look round – particularly at the Share Prospectus – and if you’re happy, apply for some shares !  You can read the documents, fill in the application form, and transfer the money all online.  If you prefer you can print out the documents, fill in the paper application form and post it with a cheque.  Or you can choose any combination of paper and online that suits you !

Please don’t wait too long.  The share offer closes on 15th June unless it’s fully subscribed before then.  A big publicity campaign has been organised (the picture shows the current management team of Littlehempston Community Pub Ltd. being photographed for the Western Morning News) and there’s expected to be considerable interest – especially as anyone who’s a UK tax payer should be able to claim back 30% of their investment as an income tax rebate (provided they hold their shares for at least three years) under the government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme.

If you think this is an attractive offer, please let your family and friends know about it too.  Just send them a link to www.littlehempstoncommunitypub.co.uk.  Building a network of friends and relatives will be the way that we’ll get enough of us working together to buy the Tally and re-open it!