The last remaining pub in an Ayrshire coastal village is to receive a big cash injection to keep it afloat until the national lockdown ends.
The Kings Arms, in Ballantrae's Main Street, will receive a whopping £27,603 from a Scottish Government fund aimed at helping businesses to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19.
A spokesperson for owners, The Ballantrae Trust, said: “We have recently received £27,603 from the Scottish Government’s community recovery fund (Adapt and Thrive).
“This funding is to be directed towards the costs of paying bills while the King’s Arms remains closed because of government Covid restrictions; for necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, screens, sanitiser etc for when we are able to reopen.”
Also planned is a brand-new Kings Arms website with associated marketing. Some of the new funding is also expected to go towards upgrading the public spaces.
In June last year, Ayrshire Live told how the trust was able to purchase, refurbish, develop and manage the Kings Arms as a community resource.
It was all thanks to more than a quarter of a million pounds worth of funding from the Scottish Land Fund.
The trust received £262,493 from the fund and was one of 16 groups sharing in almost £3.7 million across the country.
In addition, the trust also secured cash from the Carrick Futures and the Ballantrae Community Fund, who awarded the group £15,000 and £10,000 respectively, to assist with the Kings Arms project.
The next step will be to offer the opportunity for everyone in the area to become involved, by purchasing ‘community shares’ in the new village pub and hub.
The spokesperson continued: “We are pleased to advise that the documentation required to allow us to launch our community share offer has been approved for the standard mark and are now being finalised prior to the launch of the offer.
“Thanks to everyone for their patience at this difficult time. Better times are on the horizon!”
The launch date will be confirmed in due course.
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