This Hayling Island pub cannot get a government grant – but the community has stepped up
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The Lifeboat Inn, in Sea Front, Hayling Island, has a rateable value of £58,000, meaning it is not eligible for the government’s small business grant which only supports businesses with a value up to £51,000.
But now a friend of the landlady, Nikki Fischer who has worked at the pub for 17 years, has shown her support by raising more than £1,000 in less than 12 hours.
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Hide AdTracey Coyle, who took on the lease of the pub with her sister Amanda Coyle in November 2017, said: ‘It was one of our close friends who set it up.
‘It’s an amazing gesture, and we’re incredibly grateful.
‘We haven’t had any income whatsoever – we tried a takeaway scheme at first, but that didn’t really work.’
The pub launched a takeout service in the first week of lockdown, but the pub attracted just two orders.
Tracey said: ‘If we open a barrel for only two beers, that’s a lot of beer that could go to waste if it’s not used before it goes off.
‘We could be losing £150 to £200 a barrel.
‘Whereas we could get a full barrel replaced.
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Hide Ad‘I think there were not more orders because it was so early in the lockdown and people might have thought it wasn’t going to last.’
A total of 14 staff members have been furloughed on 80 per cent pay, and the pub’s rent has been deferred by its landlord, Ei Group.
There has been a lot of misinformation about the support that’s available, the landlady said.
She added: ‘We saw a comment on Facebook saying that Ei pubs were getting all grants and that we were basically lying.
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Hide Ad‘So it was gutting to think people thought we were grabbing extra money and getting help, when that’s not the case.’
Anyone wishing to support the pub can make a donation at gofundme.com/f/buy-a-pint-for-the-lifey