From Campaign to Institution: Why the Six Bells Is About More Than Saving a Pub
February 2026
Author: Amanda Reynolds, Chair of the Save the Six Bells Campaign Group
When we first began the journey to purchase the Six Bells, it was described, understandably, as a campaign to save a village pub.
And of course, it is that.
But over the past year, I’ve come to realise it is also something much more significant.
What we are building is not simply a reopened building. It is a test of whether a rural community can organise itself, raise substantial investment, govern responsibly and create sustainable social infrastructure for the long term.
That shift - from campaign to institution - has been one of the most important lessons of this journey.
From Energy to Structure
Every community project begins with energy.
A small group of people willing to step forward. To make calls. To give up evenings and weekends because they believe something matters.
The Six Bells was no different.
In the early stages, momentum depends on pace and determination. But founder energy alone does not create resilience.
If this project is to endure - if it is truly to belong to the community - it cannot remain personality-led.
That is why our first AGM marks such an important milestone.
Our founding steering group will step down and stand for re-election alongside any members who wish to put themselves forward. Leadership will be determined democratically, as it should be within a community benefit society.
This is not symbolic.
It is structural.
It strengthens accountability. It widens ownership. And it ensures that the Six Bells is governed not by a few committed individuals, but by its members.
Community Ownership as Regeneration
Across rural communities, we are seeing the gradual erosion of shared spaces, places that quietly support wellbeing, connection and local economic activity.
When a community owns an asset, something fundamental changes.
Decisions are made locally.
Surpluses are reinvested locally.
Long-term stewardship replaces short-term extraction.
Community ownership is not nostalgic. It is practical.
The Six Bells is being designed as a multifunctional rural hub - commercially viable, professionally governed and capable of supporting:
- Community groups and social events
- Local producers and suppliers
- Visitors to the Welsh Coastal Path
- Intergenerational activity and informal support networks
This diversification is intentional. Sustainable rural hubs must combine social value with commercial realism.
Raising Investment, Not Just Support
We are currently working to raise £450,000 through a community share offer and wider funding support.
That figure represents confidence - in governance, in viability, and in the belief that rural infrastructure is worth investing in.
Community-led regeneration requires more than passion. It requires structure, transparency, financial discipline and a clear path to sustainability.
Over the past year, I have seen what happens when people feel genuine ownership. New residents investing. Long-standing villagers stepping forward. Professionals offering time and expertise.
This is not charity.
It is community wealth building in action.
A Model for the Future
The challenges facing our village on the Gwent Levels are not unique.
Rural isolation. Economic leakage. Loss of social infrastructure. Limited local enterprise opportunities.
The Six Bells is our response.... but.... it also offers a wider lesson.
That regeneration can be community-led. That governance can evolve beyond founders. That commercial and social objectives can sit side by side.
That rural communities are capable of building sustainable institutions when given the right tools.
We are still on the journey.
But if we succeed - and I firmly believe we will - this will not simply be a saved pub.
It will be proof that rural regeneration can move from campaign to institution, from passion to permanence.
And that feels like something worth building.
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Find Us At:
Website: www.savethesixbells.org
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