Save the Somerset Arms

23/08/2026

Why your pledge matters ❤️

The pledge stage is a really important part of the Save the Somerset Arms campaign. It helps us demonstrate the strength of community support for the project and, crucially, gives us a realistic idea of how much money we could have available when it comes to negotiating with the current owners.

Early in the campaign, we asked the community through a survey whether you would be interested in owning shares in the pub - and, if so, how much you might be willing to invest.

The response was really encouraging. But our current pledges don’t yet reflect the level of interest we saw in that survey.

So, we want to understand why.

💭 Is there something stopping you from making a pledge?
💭 Are you unsure about how the process works?
💭 Is there information you need before you feel comfortable committing?
💭 Or has something changed since you completed the original survey?

There’s no judgement, we genuinely want to know. Your feedback could help us understand what we need to do differently, what questions we need to answer, and how we can make sure everyone who wants to be part of this project has the opportunity to get involved.

Drop us a comment below or get in touch with us by email. Tell us what’s holding you back - we want to listen, and if there’s something we can do to change your mind, we’ll do our best. 🍻

20/08/2026

A summer update ☀️

Things have been a little quiet over here lately. We’ve been enjoying summer, surviving the heat and, behind the scenes, working together to figure out how we keep pushing this campaign forward.

But there’s something we need to talk about.

The pledges have slowed down.

We’re currently at 300 people and over £220,000 pledged which is an incredible show of support. But it isn’t enough yet.

We know some of you have questions. We know some of you aren’t convinced. And we know there are things that might be stopping you from making a pledge.

Over the coming weeks, we’re going to start answering more of your questions, addressing some of the concerns we’ve heard and sharing more about what this campaign could mean for the future of The Somerset Arms and for our community.

Because this isn’t about dwelling on the past. It’s about what we could do with this building in the future, if we come together and make it ours. 🧡

But we can’t do it without you.

If you’ve been waiting, wondering or simply haven’t got round to it yet, take a minute today and make your pledge.

300 people have already said yes. Will you join them?

👉 Visit savethesomersetarms.co.uk to find out more and make your pledge.

And if you’re still not convinced… keep watching. We might just change your mind. 👀

The Somerset Arms

31/07/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at our public meeting on Wednesday evening.

It was fantastic to see 46 people come along to share ideas, ask questions and take part in a really constructive discussion about the future of the campaign.

We talked about how we can improve our communication, reach more people and encourage pledges from an even wider audience. Your feedback, suggestions and questions are incredibly valuable, and everything discussed will help shape the next stage of our plans.

Don’t forget to visit our website to find out more about the campaign, email us if you have any questions, and if you haven’t already, please consider making your pledge.

🌐 savethesomersetarms.co.uk

29/07/2026

Quiz Night tomorrow! 🧠

Gather your friends and join Del for another fun-filled Quiz Night at Semington Village Hall tomorrow, 7.30pm.

👥 Teams of up to 6
💷 £2 per person
🕢 7.30pm start

All proceeds will go towards the Save the Somerset Arms campaign, helping bring our community hub back to life.

We’d love to see you there! 🍻

Derek Edwards

28/07/2026

Don’t forget to join us for our next public meeting, 7.30pm tomorrow (29th July) at Semington Village Hall!

It’ll be an opportunity to hear about the progress of the campaign, what our next steps are and for you to ask any questions that may be on your mind. We hope to see you there!

24/07/2026

Got some questions about the Save the Somerset Arms campaign?

Perhaps you’re wondering how things are progressing, what happens next, or maybe there’s something that’s stopping you from making a pledge. Whatever your reason, we’d love to see you at our public meeting next week.

📅 Wednesday 29th July
🕢 7.30pm (doors open from 7.15pm)
📍 Semington Village Hall

We’ll be sharing where the campaign currently stands, what the next stage looks like, and discussing the road ahead together.

Most importantly, this is your opportunity to ask questions, share your thoughts, and help shape what comes next. This campaign belongs to the community, and we’d really value hearing your ideas and opinions.

Whether you’ve already pledged, are still deciding, or simply want to find out more, come along and join us - everyone is welcome!

We hope to see you there.

21/07/2026

A huge thank you to Wizz & Kathy Stearne and Jacqui Hailey for flying the Save the Somerset Arms flag at Melksham Carnival on Saturday! 🚂💚

Our campaign posters looked fantastic on their miniature steam engine, helping spread the word to people from across Melksham and beyond.

Every conversation, every share and every poster helps more people discover what we’re trying to achieve. Being within walking distance for many people in Melksham, we’d love to see even more supporters from the town getting behind the campaign.

If you haven’t pledged yet, there’s still time. And if you have, thank you! Please help us by sharing the campaign with your friends, family and colleagues. Even sending them this post will make a difference! The more people who hear about it, the stronger our community offer becomes.

Pledge today at savethesomersetarms.co.uk 💚

Melksham Carnival Melksham Town Council Kathy Stearne Jacqui Hailey

16/07/2026

Do you have a favourite Somerset Arms memory? Maybe it was the go-kart racing, the Royal Wedding celebrations, New Year’s Eve parties, live music nights, or something completely different. We’d love to hear your stories - share them in the comments below! ❤️

These memories remind us why the Somerset Arms matters so much. We want to bring it back as a place where everyone feels welcome. A true community hub where friends can meet, new connections can be made, and people can come together.

It won’t just be about evenings at the bar. We imagine a space for book clubs, coffee mornings, family get-togethers, remote working, local groups, and so much more. The possibilities really are endless.

But before any of that can happen, we need your help.

Our goal is to bring the Somerset Arms into community ownership, and we need as many people as possible to pledge to buy a community share. Every pledge strengthens our position and helps us make the strongest possible offer to the current owners.

More than 290 people have already pledged their support. Will you be one of them?

Visit savethesomersetarms.co.uk today and make your pledge. Let’s make these dreams a reality! 🌟

10/07/2026

☀️ It’s Friday night, and the perfect weather to be enjoying a refreshing drink in a pub garden…if only we had a village pub to pop down to.🤔

Whether you’re soaking up the rays or hiding from the sun, pledging only takes a couple minutes of your time and will make a huge difference to our campaign!

291 supporters have now pledged an incredible £219,310 towards our community buyout. That’s a great achievement, but we need to keep the momentum going if we want to be enjoying future summers at the Somerset Arms.

Imagine what that could look like… friends gathering in the pub garden, the return of our much-loved cider festivals, live music on warm evenings, community BBQs, and a welcoming place where neighbours, friends and strangers can meet, connect and make new memories together. 🌟

In a world where it’s becoming harder to find places to connect, having a local pub is about so much more than food and drink. It’s a place where friendships grow, community thrives, and everyone has somewhere to come together.

If you haven’t pledged yet, why not take a couple of minutes today? Every pledge, big or small, makes a real difference and helps bring the Somerset Arms back to life 👉 savethesomersetarms.co.uk

Thank you to everyone who has already backed the campaign, we really couldn’t do this without you💚

08/07/2026

It’s inspiring to see other Community Benefit Societies succeeding with their projects 🌟

With your support, we could join them in opening another community-owned pub. Make your pledge now 👉savethesomersetarms.co.uk 🍻

We can't wait to see it back