Creating Connections: Cambridgeshire Pub Helps Bring People Together to Overcome Social Isolation and Loneliness

Pub is The Hub advisor Terry Stork celebrates in the community café with The Lion volunteers

The Lion at Ickleton, near Saffron Walden, Cambridgeshire, has opened a community café to provide a safe space to help people connect and socialise.

The pub, which was reopened in June 2025 after members of the local community raised £440,000 for the purchase, puts community at the centre of its ethos.

The Lion has already become the hub of the local community offering delicious food, real ale and a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Members of the Ickleton Community Pub Ltd, the community benefit society set up to purchase the pub, were determined to support people living in the village and surrounding areas to help overcome social isolation and loneliness.

Expert help and a Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub, a not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify their services and activities, was provided to support the opening of the community café.

The café, which currently opens on the third Friday of the month and is run by volunteers, has already become an important meeting place for families, friends and those living alone who want to meet new people and connect. It serves delicious coffee, sourced from local roaster Ninth, along with teas and cakes – with its Victoria sponge is already proving a firm favourite. 

It has become a ‘must visit’ for close to 50 people in the area and the numbers of people using the café continues to grow. There are plans to extend the opening times to provide even more support to people living in the local area.

Lizzie Molloy, Society Secretary and Community Cafe Lead, said: “Since opening, the response to our café has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s been lovely to see so many friendly faces enjoying coffee, cake and a chat together.

“It’s the perfect way to start your morning, meet friends and neighbours and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of your community pub.”

Jo Hancock, HR and Communications Lead, said: “The community café has been a great way to build community cohesion. It is a social space for everyone to meet and provides great opportunities for volunteers.”

Regional advisor for Pub is The Hub Terry Stork said: “This is a pub that is really at the heart of its community. This important new service will enable people of all ages to get together and socialise to help combat social isolation.”

The next community cafés take place on 21^st November and 19^th December between 9.30am to 11.15am.

The café is also running a special event on Saturday, 22^nd November between 10am to 2pm where local people can get free advice on saving energy, reducing their bills and helping the planet - while enjoying delicious coffee, cake and pastries.

Editor’s Notes

Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation, which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification so they can provide viable local services and social value at the heart of their community. 

With a proven track record of rural project development and delivery over the last 24 years, Pub is The Hub has worked with great publicans to open shops, libraries, cafes, community cinemas, allotments, play areas and much more. Since 2013, the organisation has also been able to offer small grants through its Community Services Fund.

Pub is The Hub has helped over 600 pubs diversify, with more than 200 of these benefitting from help through the Community Services Fund.

Building on its community services work in 2019 Pub is The Hub conceived its ‘Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness’ campaign. ‘Join Inn’, specifically looks to support publicans and their communities to become better connected, helping local people feel less isolated and, in the process helping to alleviate loneliness.

Website: www.pubisthehub.org.uk

Twitter: @PubistheHub_uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pubisthehub

Contact: michelleperrett@pubisthehub.org.uk

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