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Community Hub |
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Our Goal
The premises consist of a large red brick building with spacious enclosed courtyard and several surrounding outbuildings. The uniqueness of the site and its physical layout lend themselves to the different initiatives we have planned for the community hub.
We are reclaiming The Swan for the community and restoring it as a place recognised for being friendly, supportive and inclusive. Somewhere for meeting friends or simply dropping by, for enjoying good food from locally grown produce or having a drink. An environment that supports other small businesses by providing them with workspaces and their own premises. It will be somewhere for young people with additional needs to learn useful life skills through work experience, for professionals to find workspaces, and for the local church community to meet-up. And at the end of the day, it will also be a bed and breakfast for visitors who would like to stay.
For The Community
For Drinking
The pub is now open and offering a fine range of beers, wines and spirits. The Swan is very fortunate to have the Windsor & Eton Brewery (WEBrew) close-by who are providing many of our award winnings beers. As well as THe Bar, customers have access to The Coach House and also The Courtyard.
For Education
The Green Room School has developed both a sixth form and graduate programme for their older students in order to help them transition from the school environment to the world of work via training courses, work experiences and employment in a safe environment. Students may work in the pub and in the future other suitable areas of the business.
For Cyclists
Being close to National Route 4 and close to the scenic River Thames, we are an excellent stop-off point during any cycle ride. We have bike racks and soon a repair station to aid unlucky cyclists. We are also home to the Windsor Cycle Hub which aims to promote cycling in the Windsor area.
For Dog Walkers
Dog walkers and their dogs are an integral part of our community. Owning and walking dogs benefits the physical and mental well-being of both dogs and their owners. Both can get thirsty very rapidly and require to stop-off to take on liquid. Here at The Swan we offer refreshments and snacks for both. All we ask is that both are well behaved and dogs are kept on a lead in the bar (with any accidents cleared up).
For St Andrews
The church of St Andrews Clewer is the oldest building in Windsor, and it is connected to The Swan by an old underground tunnel that remains to this day. The team at Clewer Parish, headed by Reverend Rosie Webb, are very active in the community and we look forward to hosting some of their events and community activities. We are also a meeting place for friends and family who are going to the church for births, marriages and deaths. Nowadays they can simply walk over to the pub and don’t need to crawl through the tunnel!
For Families
Pubs are popular go-to venues for families to socialise and spend quality time with one another. Also to meet up with friends, relatives and other families. The Swan is one of those pubs. When running events, we will try to offer children crayons, paper and other items to keep them occupied. We will also have special children focussed events such as Halloween and Christmas. In the future, we will offer a range of board games and when the kitchen is open, children's food.
Future Plans
We plan to expand our offering as we continue to renovate the pub. Key for timing is the riasing of fresh funds to help with the building and labour costs we will incur in the kitchen, bedrooms and in the out buildings. The second phase is the kitchen where the necessary fund raising has already started.
For Staying
The main building has up to five bedrooms so we will be able to offer bed and breakfast accommodation. Windsor is a very popular tourist destination and decent places to stay at affordable prices are hard to find, especially during the busy summer months. The Swan is a ten-minute walk along the River Thames from the centre of town, away from the noise and the crowds but close enough to all the main attractions.
For Eating
With farmers' markets, bakeries as well as the Windsor Farm Shop nearby, we aim to source local foods for our kitchen. Where possible food will be made using organic ingredients and we aspire to be plastic free (no single use plastic). The kitchen will provide simple, wholesome meals and refreshments including freshly ground coffee, steeped loose-leaf tea, freshly baked breads and delicious pastries. Imagine the day where you can enjoy the ambience of delicious food in a cosy, warm pub in winter or in the summer sunshine outside in the courtyard.
For Working
With the various outbuildings around The Swan's courtyard, we aim to offer workspaces to small start-up businesses; it's tough for anyone starting out as an entrepreneur creating a new business from the ground up so it will be a pleasure to support hardworking individuals in realising their dreams.
