DREWSTEIGNTON COMMUNITY SOCIETY
Bringing a historic village pub back into community ownership to restore a vital local social hub.
Organisation: Community Benefit Society
Location: Drewsteignton, Dartmoor, Devon
Founded: 2022
Partner Since: 2024
Investment Amount: £100,000
Resonance Fund: Resonance Community Developers
About Drewsteignton Community Society
Drewsteignton Community Society is a community-led organisation formed by local people in Drewsteignton, Dartmoor, to bring their village pub back into community ownership. Established in 2022, the society was created in response to the closure of the Drewe Arms, which had long served as a key social hub for the village.
Recognising the importance of the pub as a community asset, local residents came together to form a Community Benefit Society with the aim of securing its long-term future for the benefit of the village.
Our partnership
Since 2024, Drewsteignton Community Society has partnered with Resonance Community Developers to support the purchase and restoration of the Drewe Arms pub.
The investment formed part of a blended funding approach, alongside grant funding and a community share offer, providing confidence during negotiations and helping bridge any potential funding gap. Although the community successfully exceeded its share offer target, the investment remained in place to support refurbishment works and provide a stable, “friendly investor” presence during the early stages of reopening.
Impact
Through community ownership, the Drewe Arms has been secured as a long-term social hub for Drewsteignton, restoring an essential space for connection, local activity and village life.
The successful community share offer raised £547,000, exceeding its original target and demonstrating strong local support for the project. With the pub now back in operation, the community has regained a vital asset that supports social cohesion, reduces rural isolation and strengthens local democracy by keeping ownership and decision-making in community hands.
By helping to unlock and stabilise the project at a critical stage, Resonance has supported the restoration of a historic 400-year-old pub as a sustainable community-led enterprise for future generations.
“Reopening a 400-year-old pub that had been comprehensively neglected by its previous owner and then closed for 18 months involved significant and often unforseen expenditure. The Resonance loan gave us extra flexibility and peace of mind throughout the re-opening process.” Ian Pickford, Secretary/Finance Director, DCS
Resonance Limited is a company registered in England and Wales no. 04418625
Resonance Impact Investment Limited, a subsidiary of Resonance Limited, is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Firm number 588462.
Disclaimer: This website does not contain, constitute, nor does it form part of, an offer to sell or purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, any securities, investments or financial instruments referred to herein or to enter into any other transaction described herein. Resonance is not providing, and will not provide, any investment advice or recommendation (personal or otherwise) to you in relation to any securities, investments or financial instruments or transactions described herein. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this website, neither Resonance nor its officers accept any liability for its contents or for any errors or omissions.