Community shares
Capital at risk — please be aware of the risks associated with investing in community shares.
Raise the ROOF at The New Clarence
Hull, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
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Aim
We’re raising £10,000–£100,000 to bring the New Clarence’s stunning upstairs function room back to life
About Us – A pub saved by its community
The New Clarence isn’t just a pub — it’s a story about people coming together to save something that mattered.
When it closed in 2023, local residents refused to let it disappear. We formed the Hull Community Pub Society, raised the funds, and bought it back into community ownership. Today, we have over 500 members and a thriving, welcoming pub at the heart of the city.
We’ve already done the hard part — we proved this works.
Now we’re ready for the next chapter. Lets get the function room back in use.
What your support will do
We’re raising between £10,000 and £100,000 as part of a bigger £260k project.
The money you invest via community shares will enable us to make the case for match funding from Hull City Council. Here’s how your money will be used:
We’ve broken the project into five clear stages, so every pound raised delivers real progress.
Stage 1 – Make the building safe (£10k from shares)
- Replace the roof and gutters
- Protect the building from further deterioration
- Enable work to begin immediately
👉 This is the minimum — if we hit £10k, we start here.
Stage 2 – Windows (£25k from shares)
- Repair and replace windows
- Improve insulation and weatherproofing
- Secure the building envelope
Stage 3 – Prepare the space (£25k from shares)
- Preparatory works
- Essential services and infrastructure
- Get the room ready for fit-out
Stage 4 – Build the function room (£25k) from shares
- Main construction and layout works
- Create a flexible, high-quality event space
- Shape the room into a usable venue
Stage 5 – Fit out and bring it to life (£15k from shares)
- Furnish, decorate and equip the space
- Final finishes and details
- Open the doors to the community
Please note: our first share offer qualified for SEIS tax relief which meant that individuals who had bought £1000+ shares qualified for 50% tax relief. As there is no change to the business model, we expect investment made into this new offer to be eligible for EIS tax relief. People investing above £1000 should be able to reduce their income tax liability by 30% of whatever they have invested (and if they use funds that represent a taxable capital gain to make the investment, they can also reduce the CGT due until such point as the shares are withdrawn). We will apply for EIS certificates once the share offer has concluded
Our Vision – A space for everyone
Our vision is simple: a vibrant, fully accessible community hub in the heart of Hull.
Upstairs sits an incredible space — now larger than ever — filled with light and potential. But right now, it’s empty.
We want to transform it into:
- A venue for weddings, parties and celebrations
- A home for local groups, clubs and societies
- A stage for gigs, comedy and cultural events
- A flexible, affordable space open to everyone
Picture of Chairperson Simon making his first visit to the function room in the new lift
Most importantly, it will be fully accessible — something Hull city centre currently lacks at this scale.
Why this matters
Hull has lost community spaces. Church halls and community centres in the city centre have closed. Venues have disappeared. Groups are struggling to find somewhere to meet.
We already know the demand is there:
- Local organisations are waiting to use the space
- Events are being turned away right now
- The pub is already bringing people back together
This isn’t about creating something new — it’s about restoring something the community has already lost.
A sustainable future
This isn’t just a community project — it’s a sustainable one.
The function room will:
- Generate around £50,000+ per year in income
- Create more jobs in the pub
- Support the long-term future of the pub
- Keep this building in community hands
It’s how we make sure The New Clarence is here for decades to come — not just today.
Join us
We’ve already saved The New Clarence. Now we need your help to finish what we started.
Be part of it. Own a share in it. Help us bring this space back to life.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st July 2026 at 2:01pm