“People United for Banton” (P.U.B) Community Benefit Society was formed when, in 2016, The Swan pub, heart of the village of Banton, North Lanarkshire, was heading for demolition. This imminent threat brought the community together with a determination not only to save the pub, but to transform it into a space that would bring residents and visitors together; a hub for Banton.
A lot of work from P.U.B, a community consultation, grants from Scottish Land Fund, LEADER and other organisations, as well as a community share offer and support from Plunkett and organisations including Community Shares Scotland, saw Scotland’s first community owned pub open its doors in the summer of 2020.
In March 2023 Plunkett organised a visit to the Swan to give other aspiring community pub groups in Scotland, as well as those already trading, the opportunity to hear more about The Swan’s journey, to share ideas and to offer each other support.
Following the visit P.U.B kindly agreed to send us some footage of The Swan to create this short film in which we hear more about the pub’s journey and the role it plays in reducing the isolation and loneliness facing so many rural communities today.
Thank you to Scottish Government for funding the Community Pubs Partnership that has allowed Plunkett and partners Community Shares Scotland and Co-operative Development Scotland to support community owned pubs and those exploring community ownership of a pub across rural Scotland.
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