An East Suffolk community pub is building connections with carpentry students to develop their skills ahead of its reopening next year.
The barn is a centre for environmental education, and they have taken on carpentry and joinery students from Suffolk New College.
Later in the year, the students will go to The George and use their newfound skills to help renovate the building before its 2025 opening date.
Minty Day of Suffolk New College said the course was brilliant for her. (Image: Suffolk New College)
Minty Day of Suffolk New College said: “The course has been brilliant and the staff at Orchard Barn have been very informative. It’s been great learning techniques.
“It has inspired me to work in the heritage field in the future.”
The community pub in Wickham Market had been ravaged by fire and was believed to have been lost forever in 2013.
Until the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Community Share Booster Programme, Co-Op Finance and the Government’s Department for Levelling-Up stepped in to help raise £2m.
These funds have helped rebuild the Grade II listed pub which is 500 years old.
The students will help rebuild the pub later this year. (Image: Suffolk New College)
The George is now attempting to fund community projects that support people living in the county, with the help of the National Heritage Lottery Fund and The Radcliffe Trust.
They donated £10,000 to the college to help students learn a host of heritage and carpentry skills.
Christine Abraham from the George Community Pub said: “Part of our funding aim was to work with the community on restoration projects, so we reached out to Suffolk New College and Suffolk Rural to give them some hands-on work experience and qualification.
“Working with and for the community is so important.”
Managing director of Orchard Barn Sarah Partridge said: “The carpentry and joinery students did a timber frame restoration skills course with us.
“The pub wanted to give a group of local people heritage skills.”