The Roebuck Inn in Mobberley, has donated £1,000 to the local village church after being shortlisted in the Community Hero category at the 2021/22 Great British Pub Awards.

The funding has come from category sponsor Coca-Cola, which has given money to all six shortlisted pubs, to help them continue with the community work that got them to the final.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Roebuck Inn owners Tim Bird and his wife and business partner Mary McLaughlin, wanted to help their local community, so they set up the Mobberley Pub Hub, with two team members, to provide a safe haven where people could come and collect takeaway food and much more.

The service was extremely popular and grew from grocery boxes and freshly prepared meals to heat at home, to a ‘shrub hub’ selling plants and the creation of a ‘Hub’ shop, that featured local produce and wine, which still exists today.

Now restrictions have eased, the Roebuck Inn team are looking for new ways to keep helping the community. Attention has turned to Mobberley Parish Church, St. Wilfrid’s, which has also played a crucial role in keeping people connected throughout the pandemic.

In 2021 the church purchased a property in the village centre to provide a safe space for local people to come together. The property, now called The Beacon, recently opened to the public.

There are plans to install a community café and run a parents and tots group, a dementia choir, a homework club, a men’s mental health group and a youth drop-in facility.

Tim Bird, Co-Owner of The Roebuck Inn commented: “We are immensely grateful for the recognition we have received through the Great British Pub Awards and from Coca-Cola. Our team work tirelessly for the good of the Roebuck and our local community, and we could not be prouder of them.

“The donation from Coca-Cola will go to our beloved Mobberley Parish Church and its Reverend, Ian Blay. The church plays a big part in our community, and we are pleased that the donation will be able to support the new Beacon facility.”

Holly Firmin, Senior Community Partnerships Manager at Coca-Cola added: “It’s been so inspiring to see how pubs and their customers have stepped up to support local people during the pandemic – despite many facing real challenges themselves.

“We’re thrilled to be able to help the team at The Roebuck Inn continue their support for people of Mobberley. Funding this donation is our way of saying a huge well done and thank you!”

On Sunday 13th October at 8.30am sharp, 18 cyclists braved the weather and took to the country roads that link our six wonderful pubs. They left from the Church Inn in Mobberley after registration.

With all the rain we did think we would have a poor showing, but to get 18 cyclists was amazing! In front of them was a one hundred mile challenge, taking them in to Staffordshire, to our Fitzherbert Arms pub via our Cholmondeley Arms and Three Greyhounds Inn before returning to Mobberley to pick off the Roebck Inn and Bulls Head. With the rain falling it was a gruelling, yet rewarding trip. Every rider had to collect a tiddlywink at each pub until they had the six. A Burger and a pint or three were waiting!!

Everyone completed the Cheshire Cat 6 other than three who missed out the Fitzherbert Arms, but did do the ‘Cheshire 5’ instead. The photos tell the story of how delighted everyone was to have risen to the challenge.

The Cheshire Cat Safari gets underway!

ADAM FROM BOUTINOT (RIGHT) POSES WITH THE REST OF THE CYCLISTS

AND FITS HIS WINE IN POSITION

ADAM AND NICK ARRIVE BACK AT THE BULLS HEAD FIRST

GUY CELEBRATES

BETH MANAGED 5 OUT OF SIX

RORY AFTER THE 100 MILE SLOG

AS DID HAMISH

A GREAT PINT OF ALE

A DESERVED GLASS OF WINE FOR CLARE

THE CYCLING 'TIM-BOLA'

BIKES STILL OUTSIDE THE PUB AFTER DARK!

All the riders arrived back safely to the Bulls Head in Mobberley with the exception of three riders who had started at the Fitzherbert Arms and circled round to finish there rather than the Bulls Head.

All enjoyed a drink and a burger ‘on the house’ before they took part in (Cheshire Cat owner) Tim’s cycling ‘Tim-bola’ which raised a few more pounds for our company charity ‘Action Against Hunger’. On the day we raised £315.00 for the charity! Which is a really great result. Despite the weather, the cyclists loved it and most importantly loved our pubs!!

We would like to thank cycling enthusiast Sam, from our bank HSBC, for supporting the event and for supplying the British Cycling Jerseys and books as prizes in the ‘Tim-bola’.

Bigger thanks have to go to Adam from our wine merchants Boutinot. Adam is a very keen cyclist too and made all the arrangements for the event with the help of Tim and the pubs too. Adam also helped with the wines for the ‘Tim-bola’ and cycled the 100 miles for good measure!

This is the first time we have held the ‘Safari’ and it will now be an annual feature on the Cheshire Cat calendar! Thank you to all the cyclists who took part, including Rory who travelled from London to have a go!

See you all next year!

History was made on the Saturday the 8th July as England beat Sweden in the World Cup Quarter Finals! This will be the first time in 28 years they have made it to the Semi finals! Although we did not make it to the final. We are proud to have come fourth in the World Cup and what a great time was had!