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Wed 16 Mar 2022, 18:38
I had an email from Phil Arnold, Greene King Pub Partners Operations Director. Looks as though the Bell isn't an option for them. This is what he said:
Thank you for your letter to Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie recently enquiring about using the Bell Hotel in Charlbury to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
As the operations director responsible for The Bell I wanted to respond to you directly.
Since war began in Ukraine it’s been devastating and we’re committed to doing what we can to help people.
We have donated an initial £50,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which provides important support to the people of Ukraine, including food, first aid, clean water, medicines, and warm clothing. The DEC is made up of 15 member charities, including Action Aid, British Red Cross and Save the Children, and are experts in humanitarian aid.
We have also committed to match-funding a further £50,000 of support to the DEC. Our teams, and members of the public, can donate through this link.
Also, to support the people who have been left no choice but to flee their homes, we’re looking at whether we can offer employment opportunities to Ukrainian refugees when they come to the UK. We are in contact with the government and charities about this and stand ready to help.
This is our priority currently and we are closely monitoring the situation and will be looking at accommodation needs of those for whom we can provide employment as well.
Thank you for writing to us about the Bell in Charlbury. It epitomises how communities across the UK are looking to help those fleeing the war and it has been heart-warming to see that 100,000 people have already signed up to the government’s Britain's Homes for Ukraine scheme.
However, I’m afraid the Bell would not be suitable accommodation currently. As you noted, it has been closed for a number of months and is in need of significant investment before it could reopen.
We therefore do not feel that it is appropriate or suitable to offer it as accommodation for refugees currently given the condition of the interior of the property and instead will be focusing our work on some of the areas above where we feel we can provide faster and more effective support.
I am sorry that we cannot provide the Bell for use currently, but hopefully the above is helpful in explaining what we are doing currently to help those impacted by the tragic events in Ukraine.
Kind regards,
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