Sandbank’s community pub to reopen in time for Christmas
The historic Oakbank Inn in Sandbank is preparing to open its doors for the first time in three years, following a successful community buyout.
The landmark pub, which dates back to the 1860s, was purchased by the Sandbank community earlier this year thanks to a substantial grant from the Scottish Land Fund.
Following months of hard work by the committee and a dedicated team of volunteers, resulting in a redesign of the bar area, an opening date of Saturday December 20 has now been set.
Committee member Sue Mckillop said: “While the work has been going on, we’ve organised a number of car boot sales and played host to a very popular, regular pop-up green grocers’ shop, as well as providing a location for health-related workshops and charity coffee mornings.
“There have also been some very successful quiz nights and other BYOB (bring your own booze) events that have been well supported by people from Sandbank and beyond.
“The level of interest in the pub has been very inspiring, as demonstrated by our recent AMM (Annual Members’ Meeting) that attracted an impressive number of shareholders and local residents.”
The inn will also be open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve, with the community planning to put on a lively schedule of entertainment in the initial months.
Quiz nights, live music, and open mic nights are among the events planned for the venue.
Sue added: “There have been so many hurdles to jump over and it’s been a big learning curve for us all as we get set to embark on a new chapter for a much-loved and cherished community resource.
“We are under no illusions as to the challenges that lie ahead.
“Like any pub venue, we will need to keep innovating in order to survive.
“Many community-owned pubs fall by the wayside and we’re determined that that won’t be the case with the Oakbank.”
The committee plans to provide food and accommodation in the near future, as well as hosting a permanent display related to the ‘American Years’ when the US Navy made Holy Loch their home. It is also considering the provision of gallery space for the Cowal Open Studios’ artists’ collective
Development Officer Dawn Petherick, who has played a pivotal role in breathing new life into the venue, said: “We put out a questionnaire to our shareholders and social media followers and received some great ideas and input in terms of how we can revive the pub and make it stand out as a real destination for both local people and visitors to the area.”
“The feedback has been fantastic,” added Dawn, who has also overseen a tidying up operation around the pub with a willing and able team of volunteers over the past few months.
“We have a growing team of volunteers and local companies who have already committed hundreds of ‘man hours’ and we’d like to say a big thank you to each and every one of them.”
For more information and to contact the venue you can visit the Oakbank Community Inn Sandbank on Facebook or email sue.mckillop@ocis.org.uk.
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