Generation game as Carleton village hub is launched

Community hub at the Swan Inn Carleton in Craven, near Skipton.

New baby Anna Hirst, just seven weeks old, joined Carleton’s oldest married couple Mick and Mary Hargreaves, aged 83 and 82, to officially announce the innovative hub at the Swan Inn open.

The new initiative, which has its own special entrance separate to the pub, provides a free-to-use warm and welcoming space in the mornings seven days a week.

Alongside a coffee shop and meeting place, facilities include superfast wifi, computers, printers, local information and advice and a book exchange.

Community hub at the Swan Inn, Carleton. The village's oldest couple, Mary and Mick Hargreaves, pictured with one of the youngest, baby Anna Hirst.

The hub got off the ground with the help of a £3,000 grant from Pub is The Hub which inspires licensees who run rural pubs to provide additional much-needed community services and activities. It was packed with villagers for yesterday’s launch which was also attended by pupils from Carleton Primary as the whole community came together.

Paul Selwood, licensee, said: “This is taking pubs back to where they should be, a part of the community.”

Future ideas include plans for local care home residents to use the hub and French and Spanish classes.

Steve Richardson, chairman of Carleton Community Umbrella who fundraise to create useful community assets, said: “This is not the finished product by a long way.” Trisha Hughes, Pub is The Hub regional advisor, added it was ‘visionary’.