MEMBERS of a rural community are hoping they can join together in a bid to save their countryside pub from closure.

The Farmers Arms in Cwmdu has been a meeting place for farmers living on the county's border for generations.

After the pub's current owners put the business up for sale on the open market some members of the local community became concerned that there was a lack of interest.

They have created a Friends of the Farmers Arms group which are holding a meeting at Cwmdu Village Hall next Wednesday (September 27) at 7.30pm to discuss ways to fund the project and future plans.

Richard Renshaw, a member of the steering group said: "Basically we have quite a strong farming community and when I moved here 23 years ago the pub was a communal meeting point for everybody.

"To me it's quite a scattered community and the pub brings people together.

"For various reasons the pub is being used very little as they have been put off for various reasons. We want to get it back like the old days when it was a vibrant meeting place for people and held various functions.

"We have already lost our school and garage which has been turned into a successful cafe, but to lose the pub would be a real body blow to the community. There are a number of communities that have taken over their local pubs and there has been quite a lot of success stories which is quite heartening."