I RECENTLY dropped into The Drewe Arms in Drewsteignton, on the edge of Dartmoor, to catch up with Toby and Jane. They are part of a brilliant team of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to keep this much-loved pub thriving.

When I first met the group, they were fighting to save the pub after it had closed its doors. The future looked uncertain, and for many villagers the loss of the Drewe felt like losing the heart of the community itself. Yet they refused to give up. Local people rallied together and raised more than £550,000 from shareholders, buying the pub and bringing it back to life.

Today the Drewe is firmly back at the centre of village life. Volunteers do everything from serving at the hatch to gardening, decorating and marshalling parking at events. It is a real team effort, and it shows in the warm welcome you receive the moment you step through the door.

The pub has also been winning awards, including the first ever Heritage Pub of the Year from CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. That is a wonderful recognition of the building's character and of the care that has gone into protecting it.

The Drewe's story matters well beyond Drewsteignton. Pubs have faced enormous pressure in recent years, and the industry body UKHospitality has reported that thousands have closed across Britain over the last decade or so. Every closure takes away more than a place to buy a drink. It removes a meeting spot for neighbours, a venue for clubs and celebrations, and often one of the few places where people who live alone can enjoy company.

Community ownership offers a hopeful alternative. Plunkett UK, which supports community businesses, puts the five-year survival rate for community-owned businesses at 98 per cent. That compares very favourably with the survival rate for conventional start-ups, where a substantial share fail within five years. The reason is simple. When a business belongs to the people who use it, they have a personal stake in its success. They turn up, they volunteer, they spread the word and they keep coming back.

What struck me most during my visit was the pride. Toby and Jane talked about the pub not as a project but as a shared achievement, something that belongs to everyone who helped make it happen. That sense of ownership is priceless.

Across Central Devon, we have many examples of communities taking ownership into their own hands, from village shops to community halls and pubs. They show what neighbours can achieve when they pull together, and they deserve our support.

If you are walking near Castle Drogo, the Drewe Arms is well worth a stop. Grab a drink, enjoy the atmosphere and say hello to the volunteers who make it all possible. You will be helping to keep a very special place thriving for years to come.