The Forge at Ulgham

30/04/2026

Great news. The English Devolution Bill has now had Royal Assent is now law. The Ulgham CBS will now pursue the compulsory purchase of the Forge and will contact the necessary authorities to start proceedings.

06/03/2026

🍺 Reminder 🍺

We will be holding the Ulgham CBS - 2026 AGM on Thursday 12th March 2026 at 8pm. The venue will once again be :

Womens Institute Hall,
Main Road,
Ulgham.
NE61 3AW

This is for registered shareholders only

27/01/2026

A really interesting story and demonstrates what we can do. Worth a watch

A top comedian is set to help restore a rural North Yorkshire pub in a new TV series set to be aired this February.

12/01/2026

Happy New Year from the Ulgham CBS
The CBS committee are still working hard and exploring all avenues to find a solution to buying the Forge. The Ulgham Parish Council survey has demonstrated that there is overwhelming support for the Forge to continue as a pub and associated services. We will endeavour to give out real information when we get it but cannot respond to unconfirmed rumours.

In the meantime, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has moved to the Committee stages after it's second reading in the House of Lords. The Bill will give community organisations such as Ulgham CBS the "Right to Buy" assets of community value. The next Committee stage meeting is planned for 20th January.
For more information on the above see https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4002
Additionally, for your information, the Plunkett Foundation has published its annual report which demonstrates the success of community run organisations.
Plunkett UK is a national charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in community ownership.
Please see
https://plunkett.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Better-Business-Report-2025.pdf

21/10/2025

BBC Morning Live highlight community pubs. The Forge is once again mentioned in the article. We are one of the many community groups trying to keep our Pub open

It is on iplayer - the bit starts ~33:30.

Gethin Jones and Kimberley Walsh are joined by consumer journalist Rebecca Wilcox to reveal how to cut boiler costs and avoid replacement scams.

25/09/2025

Ulgham CBS will be looking into this to save the Forge from further decline.
The Government will be announcing this today.

“Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride”

Local communities will be handed new powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns

People will be given the power to revitalise their neglected high streets, create new spaces for young people and take back control of derelict pubs, to breathe new life into neglected communities up and down the country.

Communities will be handed new powers to seize boarded up shops, save their treasured local pubs or libraries and clean up the eyesores in their area.

Local communities will be handed new powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns.

13/04/2025

We can do this

How the community in Wigtown stepped in to stop a historic hostelry being turned into flats.

24/03/2025

https://locality.org.uk/what-is-community-right-to-buy

We’re calling for a Community 'Right to Buy’, replacing the existing Community 'Right to Bid' which would make it easier for local communities to take buildings and land into community ownership. It builds on current Localism Act powers and would give local people more rights to buy assets of co...

18/03/2025

Interesting article on the BBC today. Good to know there are other communities in the same position as us but they are not giving up. Neither are we. Let’s Forge ahead.

Camra warns it will be more difficult for groups trying to buy local pubs to prevent their closure.

15/02/2025

An inspiring read - Something to aspire to, we could do this!

A community owned pub in Horncliffe has been named as the friendliest pub in the country.