CASE STUDY
THE DOG INN
LOAN AMOUNT: £15,000
Background
Located in Belthorn in Lancashire and just seven miles away from the centre of Blackburn, The Dog Inn has been a successfully run community owned pub since 2015. After opposing plans by local developers to convert the building into accommodation, residents set up a community share offer raising in excess on £190,000. Since that time significant improvements have been made ensuring the pub (which also includes a shop, café and restaurant) serves the community as well as being a flourishing venue attracting visitors from across the region.
What was the loan used for?
Along with an external grant obtained by the community pub’s committee, the loan from Co-op Loan Fund will go towards the installation of solar panels providing clean energy with the dual advantage of reduced costs for the pub along with the positive environmental impact the investment will bring. This investment will guarantee renewable energy provision at The Dog Inn for the next 25 years.
To find out more about an Invest to Save loan please contact:
info@coopfinance.coop
Investment in new solutions
Rising energy costs are a challenge across the community pub sector. Investment in new solutions such as solar panels pay for themselves through the savings they make.
Co-op Loan Fund continue to provide crucial guidance, supportive finance and vital invest to save loans to co-ops aiming to create new opportunities for local involvement in community business up and down the country.
It is our goal to provide accessible, ethical loan finance enabling an altogether different way of doing business that supports communities, boosts local economies and helps co-ops put the environment and their own ecological impact at the heart of everything they do.