A bid has been launched to save a pub in Yarnton after it closed due to the cost of living crisis.

The Red Lion, which is owned by Admiral Taverns, shut in August after the number of customers fell by half.

Landlady Kerry Osborne, who had been running the pub for six years, said the cost of living was a factor in her decision to leave. 

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In January there was a possibility the pub could reopen after the company advertised for a new landlord.

But now it has put the pub up for sale for £425,000 and villagers have decided to try to buy the pub themselves.

They are being led by Leanne Charlett, whose parents once ran the pub for almost a decade.

She has launched a steering group for the bid to save the pub for the community and a gofundme page has also been launched to get the campaign going.

Oxford Mail: The gofundme page for the Red Lion

Ms Charlett said on the Save The Red Lion Facebook page: "This group has been set up by myself for the community to share my passion of this place.

"It means a lot to me and when I lived there and I had many happy memories.

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"I'm not going to sugar coat it, I'd love to run it, but it wouldn't be my choice only. This pub needs to be reopened for the community.

"This group was created to focus on the future of The Red Lion Yarnton and not it's past."

Residents have been asked to fill in a survey about the pub.

Oxford Mail: Kerry Osborne, former landlady of the Red Lion

The Facebook page adds: "We would also like to hear from you if you feel you could help in any way with the running of the pub.

"There will be a wide range of tasks to be done from the initial setting up of the project to managing the enterprise and being involved in the day-to-day practical operation.

"This kind of venture has been successfully achieved in other communities all over the UK.

"There are currently 40 co-operative pubs in the UK and most of these have been set up with the support of the charity Plunkett Foundation. Will our community be the next one?"

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Dave Richardson, of the Oxford branch of real ale group CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), welcomed the group's attempt to run the pub as a community group.

He said: "There are now nine community-owned pubs in the county.

"The group could try to get the Red Lion listed as an asset of community value and that would give it six months' breathing space."

Earlier this month community groups were told they could access a new round of government funding in a bid to save their local pubs.

The Government’s Community Ownership Fund can be used to help communities to save their local pub as a community asset.

Admiral Taverns has been asked to comment.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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