News & Updates

Local Support — Parish Council & Parish Magazine

The campaign continues to receive excellent support from the Semington Parish Council who have helped with a number of the upfront costs relating to investigating the building itself. This included the recent structural survey that was carried out on 21 April.

We have also featured on the cover of the May edition of the parish magazine. There is an update inside and we are grateful to all those involved in both producing and distributing the magazine.

Semington Quiz Raises Funds for the Campaign

A huge thanks to Del for organising the village quiz and for donating the proceeds to support the campaign. Also a big thank you to everyone who attended the village quiz for your continued support.

Chippenham Beer Festival

Several members of the Save the Somerset Arms team attended all three sessions of the Chippenham Beer Festival over the 24th & 25th April. It was a chance to spread the word about the campaign. Many thanks to everyone who chatted and donated. Also many thanks to CAMRA for allowing us to be there and for including us in the programme.

Pledge Launch Meeting

It was great to see so many people attend the Pledge Launch on Wednesday 22nd April at Semington Village Hall. There were a number of new people and it was a chance for the team to talk about the pledge process and what it involved. There were a number of interesting questions raised. The pledge can be completed online but hard copies of the document are being distributed to properties in Semington and surrounding villages by a team of volunteers.

Everyone in the team would like to pass a big thanks to Peter, Karen and all of our volunteers for all the hard work that is going on delivering thousands of pledge leaflets to houses and businesses in local villages and industrial estates.

BBC Wiltshire & BBC News Feature Our Campaign

Reporter Jeremy Stern broadcast live from Semington for BBC Radio Wiltshire's breakfast programme, interviewing Ian Williamson, Andy Cobley and long-time villager Mike Woodrows. The story was simultaneously published on the national BBC News website under the Wiltshire section, reaching our very first overseas supporter.

Building Professionals Carry Out Site Visits at the Somerset Arms

With financial support from Semington Parish Council, two key professional surveys were commissioned: an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a RICS Red Book Valuation Survey by David Broschcomb MRICS FAVLP of DABRO & ASSOCIATES (27th February 2026). Both reports will feed directly into the business plan and forthcoming negotiations with the Wellington Pub Group.

Leafleting Cinema-Goers During 'Mother's Pride' in Trowbridge

With the release of 'Mother's Pride' — a heart-warming film about saving a rural pub, filmed nearby in Norton St Philip — members of the Semington Pub Action Group distributed leaflets outside the Trowbridge cinema. Many passers-by knew the Somerset Arms and praised the campaign. "It was an opportunity to let local people know about our campaign which echoes the story of Mother's Pride in real life," said Ian Williamson.

Glen Watson Speaks Live on West Wilts Radio

Company Secretary Glen Watson was interviewed live on West Wilts Radio in Bradford-on-Avon by presenter Tim Quick. He explained how the Semington CBS was formed and its plans to raise funds through donations, grants and future community share offers to buy and renovate the pub for generations to come.

FCA Approves Semington CBS — We Are Officially Registered

A landmark moment for the campaign. On 23rd February 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority approved the Semington Community Benefit Society Limited. Registration number 9716. The Society is now listed on the FCA Mutuals Public Register and is fully constituted to raise funds and ultimately purchase the Somerset Arms.

CBS Application Submitted to the FCA with Support from Plunkett UK

After detailed work to identify the best legal structure, the committee decided that a Community Benefit Society offered the strongest framework for community ownership. The application, adopting Plunkett UK's model rules, was signed by the four founding committee members and submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority in January 2026.

SPAG Joins Plunkett UK — National Community Business Charity

With financial support from Semington Parish Council, SPAG became a member of Plunkett UK — the national charity supporting over 800 trading community businesses and 800 more in development. Their expertise in community pubs, shops and more gives our project a robust, proven framework, significantly strengthening our path to success.

First Open Meeting at Semington Village Hall

The first open public meeting was held at Semington Village Hall to present the results of the community survey carried out earlier in 2025. The results showed overwhelming support for the Somerset Arms to be retained and reopened. Villagers expressed a strong desire for good food, Sunday roasts, traditional real ales, and live music.

Village Survey Shows Overwhelming Support to Reopen the Pub

In the spring and early summer of 2025, a 15-question community survey was conducted across Semington. It gauged the level of local support for the Somerset Arms, what services residents wanted, and whether they'd volunteer or invest. The results were unambiguous: the community wants its pub back, better than ever.

Semington Pub Action Group (SPAG) Formed

When the Wellington Pub Group put the Somerset Arms up for sale in late 2024 — closed since 2023 — a determined group of Semington villagers decided to act. They established the Semington Pub Action Group (SPAG) with a single goal: save the pub for the village and for future generations. This was the spark that started everything.