OAK Community Update - June
OAK secures two further grants towards the restoration of The Oxford Arms
We announced in January the good news that Open Arms Kington had secured a grant of £250,000 toward the renovation of The Oxford Arms from Herefordshire Council. We’re delighted to say that we’re now a step closer to reaching our fundraising target thanks to The Clothworkers Foundation and the Clive Richards Foundation, who have respectively pledged £150,000 and £78,600 towards the cost of the renovation works. Together with smaller donations, including £1,000 from the Hergest Trust, and the proceeds from activities like our spell at the Kington Community Shop and our recent yard sale, we have now raised over £500,000, and we are well on the way to raising at least £600,000 prior to the submission of our final funding application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Our Yard Sale on Sunday 28th June. All our fundraising activities help towards reaching our ambitious target!
Key points at a glance
What will the funds you’ve raised be spent on?
All of this money is to be spent on the major programme of works required to bring the main building of The Oxford Arms back into use. We won’t receive any of the pledged funds from charitable foundations until the work actually begins.
How much will the renovations cost?
It’s difficult to put a precise price tag on the cost of renovations, but our quantity surveyor has estimated a figure of over £1.5 million.
Where is the rest of the money going to come from?
Our target to raise at least £600,000 by the end of 2026 will not pay for all the work required. This is “match funding”, and securing it will help strengthen our final application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the remainder of the funds required. The Heritage Fund have been generously supporting us since January 2025, paying our architect fees and other specialist costs to develop our plans. They are following our work and progress very closely. By September we will know if they think we are ready to submit a final application to them for over £1 million. If they give us the go-ahead then we will submit our bid by early November, and can expect to hear the outcome in spring 2027.
There is no guarantee that we will succeed in our bid to the Heritage Fund but our chances of success increase when we can demonstrate we have support from other donors. The Heritage Fund are also very keen to see that we have raised a proportion of our funding through public donations, as this demonstrates that our community supports the project.
How can I help OAK get over the line and secure the future of The Oxford Arms as a community hub?
With your help we know we can reach our goal, and there are many ways you can help! Simply attending our events and supporting our bar and café help, as the profits go toward our fundraising efforts. If you can make a donation, however small, this is hugely appreciated—you can make a cash donation at any of our events (look out for our donation jars), or click here to make a donation online. A great way to support the project is to become a 100 Club member—click on the button below to join. For £10 a month, you will be entered into the monthly prize draw with a jackpot of £200!
Finally, we’re always keen to hear your ideas and to get more of our community involved. If you have ideas for a fundraising event, get in touch with us at info@openarmskington.co.uk, we’d love your input! Or if you have a few hours spare each month, why not join our friendly and enthusiastic volunteer team? In the warmer summer months, we always appreciate help with our garden, so get in touch if you’d like to help.