Most people in Bayston Hill will now know about the devastating fire at The Beeches in the early hours of Friday 7th August.

Since Ian and his family arrived in our village, they have worked incredibly hard to make The Beeches a real community pub – somewhere that welcomes local people and supports village life.

Ian has opened the doors for community meetings, hosted fundraisers and events and has always been friendly, approachable and willing to help. In a relatively short time, Ian and his family have really become part of Bayston Hill and valued members of our community.

On Friday morning, they lost not only their home but their livelihood too.

They now find themselves trying to deal with the trauma of having been inside the building when the fire broke out while at the same time facing the very practical reality of having no home and no income and still having everyday bills and expenses to meet.

They are currently trying to find somewhere for the family to live and there are so many immediate costs and uncertainties to deal with while everything else is being sorted out.

Ian and his family have reached out to and supported our village since they arrived here. I thought that perhaps now we, as a community, could reach out to them.

I have therefore set up a JustGiving page with an initial target of £500 simply to give them a little bit of immediate financial help at what must be an incredibly difficult and frightening time.

Please don’t feel under any pressure to donate – but if you are able to give even a few pounds, it would be hugely appreciated. And if you can’t donate, sharing the fundraiser would be just as helpful.

Let’s show Ian and his family that Bayston Hill is behind them. ❤️