In June 2016, the Gardeners Rest was unofficially put onto the market for sale.  A small number of regulars established the Gardeners Rest Community Society (GRCS) with the aim of inviting like-minded people to invest in the society so that it could buy the pub and bring it into community ownership. It was decided by the Interim Directors of the Society to launch a Community Share Issue to raise the required funds.

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A minimum target for our share issue was set at £100,000. At the close of the share offer, we’d raised £237,600 with a total number of 382 investors.  Highlighting the local enthusiasm for the campaign, 48% of investors invested the minimum amount of £100. The membership comes from all over the world but is predominately focused in Sheffield and its surrounding area.

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Subsequent to the closing of the share offer, and with the financial support of the Plunkett Foundation and Key Fund, the GRCS was in a position to purchase the pub and has been running it as a community-owned pub since October 2016 and bought the building and fittings in October 2017.