What's next for The Bevy?

NEXT STEPS FOR THE BEVY

Firstly, thank you to everyone for the support and love you’ve shown for the Bevy. We’ve been blown away with it all – it’s a pity we can’t turn that into cash.  Actually, there is a way but we’ll come back to that.

70 people crammed into the pub last Saturday for the meeting – while others have been sending in ideas.

Firstly let us explain about the Bevy model. In an ideal world, the money from the bar would fund all our activities. We’ve never quite managed to do this consistently, mainly cos the surrounding area isn’t as wealthy as the rest of Brighton – and we do things like pay staff the Brighton Living Wage, cos it’s the right thing to do. But we should be measured on our social good not just our income. We exist to make a difference in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean and the reason that we need income is to carry on doing that in the right way. Unlike some Water Companies we could mention any profits we might make would be ploughed right back into the local community, not funnelled into the pockets of shareholders!

We are a pub and a community centre. Our community activities are what we are about and what makes us different but with everyone having a lot less cash in their pocket this model isn’t working as well as it has previously.

Despite massive cost cutting and the amazing efforts of Lizanne and her team, it’s becoming a real struggle. Pubs are closing across the country - even Wetherspoons are shutting down branches.

And that was why the meeting was so brilliant, it showed just how keen people were to get involved and how passionate they were about keeping the pub flourishing. Thanks so much for all the excellent ideas, like offering to hire out our kitchen to commercial operators.  

Letting people know they can order in takeaways to the pub when we are not doing food.

There was talk of setting up an annual shareholder scheme with deals for those who join – but we need someone techie to make that happen.  Others talked about splitting the business in two so our community activities become a charity or community interest company on their own. Again we would need support in order to see if that’s possible.

The Bevy is unique and we should concentrate on what we are good at not try and compete with town. We don’t believe student deals are right – if there are deals they should be for everyone. And the student union have just opened as a massive bar on the Lewes Road five minutes away. How do we compete with that?

We struggle to make food work – but we will offer one off special food nights. There had been a lot of enthusiasm for this approach in our recent survey. We will launch a weekly quiz.

And now we get to the money. If enough people made a small monthly donation and become a Friend of the Bevy that would help support all our community activities and help plug the gap in our finances.  

We don’t want the Bevy to be the first and last community pub on an estate. But seeing the outpouring of support has been heart-warming and gives us hope that we can get through this, together.  But we can’t turn all your ideas into actions, we also need you to help make them happen.

To put yourself forward or to let us know any of your ideas please email contact@thebevy.co.uk and to make a one-off or monthly contribution then visit www.thebevy.co.uk/donate

* We are looking for people to help with our social media. Get in touch if you’re interested

* Half a dozen people have already put themselves forward to join the committee, and we are particularly looking for people with finance, marketing, fundraising or hospitality experience. Being hands-on is a given. If you would like to get involved then please do, it is a fantastic role, you can learn so much and have a huge impact!

* Our free Thursday family activities are a roaring success but it’s exhausting – and occasionally it would be good to have some funds to hire in entertainers who aren’t chickens! Would you’re company be willing to sponsor these activities? Do you want to get together with other parents to help run them?

* Post pandemic and numbers are still quite low for our Friday Seniors lunch club where for just £5 you get a meal, pudding and hot drink. Could you help promote it? Sponsor it? Give lifts for those who struggle with their mobility.

* We have launched a last Saturday morning of the month Meet Me At the Bevy with a range of activities, hosting Bevendean parkrun, breakfast baps and mini plant sales. Would you like to run something when its on?

* We are printing up flyers with a list of regular community activities and people will be leafleting the local area for us in the hope of getting more people in the pub. Have you got an idea for an event?

* An even easier way to support us is to hire us  – you sing it, we’ll host it! Everything from wakes, weddings and parties, to cookery classes and team building meetings.