Golden Lion reopens after 12 years of community effort

October 2024

Ashton Hayes Community Hub Limited awarded the ‘One to Watch’ award in the 2024 Plunkett UK Rural Community Business Awards. The winners were announced at a ceremony at Coin Street Conference Centre in London on Wednesday 23 October.

Kate Harrison and Hugo Deynem were in attendance to collect the award.

June 2024

After 6 months of negotiations following our grant award, the Golden Lion pub has finally been acquired by the community of Ashton Hayes.  It is over 11 years since the pub closed suddenly in January 2013.  We were visited by Granada Reports on the afternoon that the sale was confirmed.  As we opened the front doors after so many years, we were faced with empty bottles and glasses and the Christmas decorations from 2012,  crumbling structures, damp and even abandoned jackets. Viewers across the North West shared our excitement and dismay at the scale of the project!

There is a huge task to be faced both in restoring the building and raising the additional funds needed through Community Shares. 

Community in Cheshire buy back Golden Lion pub after it closed its doors 11 years ago | ITV News Granada

December 2023

Government’s Community Ownership Fund (COF) awards village £310000 for the purchase and refurbishment of the Golden Lion pub in Ashton Hayes.  The grant includes the provision of solar panels, which will be ground mounted at the back of the carpark.

Presentation to Tellus TV

On 4 May 2021 Roy Alexander did a presentation and Q&A on TellusTV as part of their weekly session. 

Zoom conversation with Sustainable Sherston

On 29 April 2021 Kate Harrison had a zoom talk with Sustainable Sherston group from Sherston in Wiltshire.

Completion of CEE survey and interview with Mohamed Alzarouni.

25th March: Roy Alexander completed the Community Energy England State of the Sector Survey on 25th March and did a one-hour interview about community energy networks with Mohamed Alzarouni of Reading University on 31st March as part of his PhD study

AGM of Community Energy Company 11 March 2021

The Annual General Meeting of Ashton Hayes Community Energy C.I.C. will take place this year via Zoom on Thursday 11th March at 8:00pm.  Members have been invited to hear about what we’ve managed to do during the past year and what we have planned for the coming months.