2nd October 2020
Windsor Express: “The Swan wins Great British Pub award” by Amy Horsfield on Friday, 2nd October, 2020.
Transcription
The Swan wins Great British Pub award
By Amy Horsfield, amyh@baylismedia.co.uk, @AmyH_BM
Clewer: Inn recognised for its selection of virtual activities during lockdown.
Speed read…Volunteers at a pub in Windsor are celebrating winning a Great British Pub award. The Swan in Clewer Village won the Keeping the Community Entertained award for its selection of virtual activities during the lockdown.
A Windsor pub is celebrating after winning a Great British Pub award.
The Swan in Clewer Village won in the Keeping the Community Entertained category at the national awards on Thursday, September 24.
“It’s a recognition of all the hard work that has been put in and the community really does value the pub because people took the time to vote for us,” said Anne Tebbatt, chair of Friends of the Swan group.
Over a 12-week period as pubs remained closed due to Government restrictions, The Swan organised more than 30 online events including bingo, pub quizzes, a book club and sewing group.
It also kept in contact with the community through weekly emails and frequently updated social media pages.
The community pub re-opened in 2019 after a fundraising committee – supported by residents, the Royal Borough and the West Windsor Residents Association-raised £148,000 to save it after it was put up for sale by the Wellington Pub Company in April 2018.
“The one thing that COVID-19 has done is bring communities together across the country, and this is an example of that in Windsor,” Anne said.
All winners at the Great British Pub Awards will have access to a £165,000 fund from Coca-Cola to enable them to continue community work and business improvements.
“It’s been great for us to show through the COVID-19 time that the pub was really important to people and we feel that the community has almost come back stronger from lockdown,” Anne added.
On Thursday, September 24, new Government restrictions were introduced requiring all pubs to close by 10 pm, and staff and customers must wear masks at all times except when seated.
“We have to hope that our customers are understanding that we have to follow these rules for the good of them and everybody else and also because it’s very important to us that we keep trading,” Anne said.