Government to shut £150m community ownership fund despite millions of pounds remaining unallocated

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A state-funded scheme that has helped save cherished community sites including mainland Britain’s most remote pub is being shut early, leaving millions of pounds unallocated.

The community ownership fund was launched in 2021, with the aim of handing out £150m worth of grants that would give local groups the financial firepower to take control of pubs, village shops, sports grounds and other beloved assets.