Residents in Lower Darwen will hold a critical meeting to try to save and transform the Uncle Jacks pub into a community ‘pub and hub’.

Hoping for a large turnout at Friday’s meeting, the group needs to prove they have enough support from locals to get the funding to buy back the pub.

Heather Leaver, from Save Uncle Jacks, said: “There is now nowhere in the village of Lower Darwen for people to meet up and socialise, this is so important for so many of our residents.

“Our vision is to turn what was once Uncle Jacks into a community pub which would be bought and renovated using shares.

“Anyone buying shares would then have a say in how the pub is run.

“If that building is turned into flats or offices, we will have lost a perfect opportunity to create something very special for the future of our village and the families that live here.”

The pub, a popular choice for Blackburn Rovers fans, closed in November 2018 and has since become a target for anti-social behaviour.

Last year the building was registered as an ‘Asset of Community Value’, protecting it from commercial developers until May.

In that time, campaigners need to raise £160,000 to buy the pub and set it up as a community-owned business.

They plan to bid for funding from the Plunkett Foundation, a charity which funds the creation of community-owned businesses.

In the nearby village of Belthorn, the Dog Inn was saved and transformed into a successful community hub, now owned by over 100 locals and run by a mixture of volunteers and paid staff.

Dave Hollings, who chairs the pub’s committee, said: “The Dog Inn was closed in November 2014 and bought by a developer to be turned into housing.

“As the Save Uncle Jack’s group are doing now, we ran a community campaign to save The Dog Inn, put together a plan and raised £180k to buy the pub from the developer.

“We have been delighted from The Dog Inn to provide advice and support to the Save Uncle Jack’s group.

“I would urge everyone from the community who wants to see the pub open in Lower Darwen to go to Friday’s meeting.”

The meeting will be held on Friday at 6.30pm at Trinity Church in Lower Darwen.