Danehill · since 1847
Own a piece of
The Coach & Horses
We're over halfway to buying the pub! Share offer is open until November 15th. We need your support today to make our community pub campaign a reality.
£435,000
raised as of 1 November
200+
investors to date
£1000
average shareholder amount
£84K
in outstanding pledges
£800k threshold to raise
Now we need everyone, from every corner, to help finish the job. This is about much more than a pint. With the community as owner, the Coach & Horses can become a hub for the whole parish: a community room, a home for local clubs and societies, events for families and older residents, and a welcome stop for walkers and cyclists on the edge of Ashdown Forest. Rural communities need places like this more than ever. When a village loses its pub, it loses the place where neighbours meet, newcomers are welcomed and people living alone find company. Investors have already come in from Danehill and Chelwood Gate, from across Mid Sussex and from the United States, and we have commitments from as far as Denmark and Hong Kong. Anyone with a passion for local communities or a connection to the village can be part of it, from £250 up to £50,000, and local businesses and organisations can invest too.
Across Britian, an average of one pub a day is closing its doors — independent, privately-owned pubs are increasingly starting to fail, while community-owned ones are thriving. In July, our own Coach & Horses — trading well in Danehill since 1847, and not in danger of closing today — went on the market. We've made an offer and have exclusivity until the end of November. We've raised almost half the funds in under two weeks with a target date of 15 November to reach our £800K threshold.
With the right governance and management, we believe community ownership gives it its best, lowest-risk future. Our village is already standing together to buy the pub that is loved by many, from Danehill to Hong Kong to California, Texas and Pennsylvania. Share applications are flying in! And we are so grateful. We have two more weeks to raise the balance and we need you!
Please read all the information in the Shareholder Information section, download and complete the Shareholder Application Form and email to info@keepcandhlocal.org. Be as generous as you can, even an extra £250 (or more) will go a long way to making our community pub campaign a reality!
Why it matters
Without local action, the pub could be lost to the village forever.
The Coach & Horses is on the open market. Without a community bid it could be sold to a national pub company or brewery chain, a change-of-use developer, an unknown private owner, or an inexperienced publican.
A community share offer can keep it independent, local and open for the next generation — but only if enough of us come together before the sale is decided.
See our recent coverage on BBC One's Sunday Politics featuring our campaign to Keep Coach & Horses local.
The feature highlighted the journey of Danehill and Chelwood Gate Community Benefit Society as they work to bring The Coach and Horse into community ownership, while also showcasing the success of the Kings Head in East Hoathly, which reopened under community ownership earlier this year. 🍻
The programme also included a discussion on community ownership from politicians across the region. Katy Bourne OBE, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, reflected on the challenges facing the hospitality sector; James MacCleary MP highlighted how community ownership can empower local people; while Helena Dollimore MP discussed the Government's business rates reductions and proposals to strengthen Community Right to Buy. 🗣️
It's encouraging to see community ownership being part of the political conversation, and Plunkett will continue to champion the impact of community businesses and advocate for the support they need to thrive.
We were also pleased to hear our statement read out by presenter Marcella Whittingdale, highlighting the impact of community-owned pubs on rural communities, including their 99% long-term survival rate and the fact that 56p of every £1 spent remains in the local economy.
0
the year the pub first opened its doors
0+
years as the heart of Danehill
0+
supporters who have raised their hand to provide input, volunteer and invest
In the press
Sussex World on our plan to save The Coach & Horses.
Reporter Lawrence Smith covered the launch of the community bid for the Mid Sussex Times & Sussex Express — the sale, the share offer, and the two village meetings. Read the full feature on the Sussex World website.
Read the full articleBy Lawrence Smith · Sussex Express · 13 August 2026
We aim to keep the Coach & Horses at the heart of Danehill and Chelwood Gate life, a valued and sustainable community asset owned and shaped by local people and open and welcoming to everyone.
Shareholder Information
Coach & Horses Share Offer
The Coach & Horses is on the market at a guide price of £695,000. We are inviting you to become one of its owners. The Danehill Chelwood Gate Community Benefit Society (the ‘Society’) aims to buy the freehold and keep it a genuine free house, owned by the community, rather than a brewery chain or a developer's next project. Below is a quick brief of what to expect in our upcoming prospectus.
We have raised over 50% of our £800,000 threshold in only two weeks - that's over 180 investors. The momentum is incredible and the pub has been busier than ever. With November 15th target close around the corner we need your support today. No time to waste to keep our treasured pub and its culture protected for the community.
This is not a rescue. The Coach & Horses is a healthy, profitable business, listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, the Good Pub Guide and Sawday's. It is the last independently run pub in a parish of around 1,800 people, and support is strong. Community ownership gives us room to grow it further, with a stronger kitchen, more locals back at the bar and opening seven days a week.
We are raising funds to buy the pub outright, covering the freehold, stamp duty, fees, refurbishment, opening stock and working capital. Reaching the full target means no borrowing and great potential of success, but we need you!
What investing means for you:
- You can invest from £250 to £50,000, across five tiers from Friend to Anchor.
- One member, one vote, whatever the size of your holding, with an accountable Board of eight founding directors supported by Plunkett UK.
- Potential tax relief of around 36.25% under SEIS/EIS; Advance Assurance has been applied for but is not guaranteed.
- No interest for the first three years, then discretionary and paid only from profits. Shares can be withdrawn at par after three years, with notice.
- An asset lock keeps the pub and its value in community benefit for good.
Please invest with your eyes open. Heads of Terms are greed with the owners but the offer could fall short of the minimum; if it does, your money is returned in full. The prospectus summary explains each risk and how we manage it.
What happens next: the public share offer is now open and closes 15 November, with a target exchange of contracts in January 2027. We need to push to make our minimum raise, please be as generous as you can -- and extra £250 can make all the difference.
Join us at The Coach & Horses any Wednesday night for Q&A sessions from 7 - 9pm. Get a full review of the shareholder agreement and get your most detailed questions answered by the Steering Committee team.
NOTE: Capital at risk. Community shares are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service, and you could lose some or all of your investment. Investment decisions should be based on the full share offer document.
All investment documents now available: Investment Memorandum, Shareholder Prospectus, Business Plan, Shareholder Application, Model Rules, Detailed Q&A
Campaign updates
All updatesBecome a shareholder
Apply for your shares today
This is the moment to turn your support into ownership. Download the Shareholder Application form, complete it in BLOCK CAPITALS, sign and send to the address listed on the form. We will confirm your payment and next steps.
You can invest from £250 to £50,000, in multiples of £250, across five tiers from Friend to Anchor. One member, one vote, whatever the size of your holding.
Please read the Community Share Prospectus before you apply. For more information on becoming a shareholder, see our FAQs.
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Email, mail or bring your completed application to the Coach & Horses any Wednesday night between 7 - 9pm. We will confirm receipt by email. Please transfer funds immediately.