Newsletter
October 2021
Hello, we hope you all remain well.
Since the last Newsletter we have remained becalmed, with the property being withdrawn from sale, and the owner remaining unresponsive to our offer, however we have been active behind the scenes.
The group that is spearheading the White Lion project has expanded by 3 of our supporters joining in an active capacity. They have brought to the group, experience in running pubs, financial forecasting and modelling, and raising finances, experience in public sector engagement and planning projects and finally experience in commercial marketing.
If you feel you have something you can add by being more involved please contact us so we can discuss how you feel you can help. We would be particularly interested in someone who can support the group with some legal guidance.
Focus on Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre
We have had support for the White Lion project, for some time, from Flint House. The previous CEO recognised how a community pub with a wide offering could complement the Centre’s activity.
Recently there has been a change in the leadership at Flint House and we were appreciative of the time the new Centre and Clinical Director Sophia Majaya gave us when we visited.
She has been at the Centre as Clinical Director for some time and was appointed to her new leadership role in recent months.
If you want to know more about our very important neighbours ‘Flint House’ they have a superb website https://www.flinthouse.co.uk which gives all the information on the Centre, its treatments, and its history back to being a private house in 1913, the VIP visits over the years, and a virtual tour.
Sophia confirmed the centres continuing support for the reopening of the White Lion as a hub for the local area.
She stated ‘Flint House welcomes the opportunity for Crays Pond to re-establish the White Lion which will be an asset for the local and wider community’
The Centre has 150 rooms and an occupancy rate of around 80-90% on most weeks. There are also 100+ staff supporting the centre in various (see more below)
So the opportunity of tempting their trade to the White Lion community pub, with the right offering throughout the day, would seem to be a strong commercial plus for our Business Plan.
Thanks to Sophia and her team for their continued support.
Opportunities at Flint House.
Whilst visiting it was mentioned that Flint House had a number of vacancies that may be opportunities for some of our supporters, and these are not necessarily only for those with a medical background. The opportunities include full or part time positions and being local may be of interest
For full details you can go to,
Thank you all for your continued support
The Crays Pond Community Group
All you residents of Crays Pond, who support the reopening of the White Lion, must live in fantasy land, if you think it could survive in the present climate, I would support knocking it down , and some new houses built, at least this would tidy the site up, and not looking a mess, like it does at present.