RESIDENTS have so far raised more than £100,000 in a bid to reopen the only pub in their village.

Combe St Nicholas' community started a campaign called ‘Save the Dragon’ back in September 2020 after the closure of The Green Dragon pub.

The campaign to save the pub started just a day later the closure of the pub.

The Save The Dragon group has now got a registered society and a bank account.

Since the start of this community project, the group set up by Dave Crossman has managed to raise 125,000 and now needs £55,000 to buy and refurbish the pub.

To cover all costs, the group would still need £180,000 but campaigners will try to cover these costs and reach their target through a grant that would match the figure they have managed to raise up to that point.

Mr Crossman, who is also chair of the steering committee, said: “We started back in September 2020 when I kicked off a campaign to save the Dragon.

"We had lots of support from the local community, [the pub] is something they would want, and it all grew from there and we gained the support of the village.

“It’s quite an enduring process to go through.”

Mr Crossman has lived in the village for 30 years, and believes the pub is an "important part of village life".

And so do many other residents, as they have also been fundraising during the pandemic.

A message on the ‘Save the Dragon’ website explains how “many residents said that the closure of the pub would be incredibly damaging to the local community”.

Mr Crossman also said: “It’s a community asset because is the only pub in the village, it’s important from a social perspective. It’s a great place to socialise.

“People, on the whole, have been supportive and now we just need the effort to keep doing what we are doing. We always looking for new ways to raise funds.”

Local businesses have also been helping out too. Minster Veterinary Surgery, in Ilminster, gave £500 to help save the pub last year.

For more information about the potential community buy out, please visit savethegreendragon.com