Spandau Ballet legend Tony Hadley has helped to save his local pub.
The Gold singer fought for The Hundred, which closed down over a year ago.
Villagers in Ashendon, Buckinghamshire, started a community ownership scheme.
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In April, the group was awarded government funding amounting to £300,000.
And after raising another £249,494, they have enough to take over the pub.
A sale price has been agreed at £420,000, as reported by What’s The Jam.
When the funding scheme was launched, Mr Hadley, 64, who lives in nearby Thame, Oxon, said: “We must preserve our pubs.
“We have to save The Hundred of Ashendon.
“We have to raise £300,000 to match the Government’s pledge of £300,000.
“So please save our pubs.”
Villagers are now hunting for tenant managers to run the boozer.
And to celebrate the success, Mr Hadley has pledged to sing at the pub’s opening night when it is arranged.
Mr Hadley rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group’s split in 1990.
He returned to the band in 2009 but left again in 2017.
His beloved local pub has been part of the Buckinghamshire village for over 300 years.
The village is rural without services that typically provide connectivity or interaction.
There’s no shop, café or school.
The bus service is very limited with only one bus twice a week.
And even fast-food delivery services are not available.
Neighbouring villages of Westcott, Winchendon, Wotton Underwood, Chilton or Dorton are also without a pub and they have made Ashendon pub their ‘local’ for many years.
A spokesman for the community group said: “We are delighted to present an exciting opportunity to revive our beloved village pub as a newly acquired and well-supported community asset full of potential and completely free of tie.
“The pub is a popular hub for residents of the village and serves as the local pub for several surrounding villages without a pub.
“It also attracts visitors, tourists, cyclists and walkers from the many local villages and towns and the larger conurbations of Thame and Aylesbury due to its historic and picturesque Location and the quality of the venue and food offering.”
A Community Benefit Society is a legal organisation registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Investments are primarily social value investments.
