SAVE THE FELLOWSHIP INN  
Of the Community, by the Community, for the Community  

What is the Fellowship Inn? 

The Fellowship Inn in Bellingham was the first pub ever built in the UK specifically to serve a newly built estate. It was completed after the Deptford slum clearances exactly 100 years ago this year and has had an extraordinary history since. Henry Cooper trained here before his legendary fight against Muhammed Ali in 1963, and in the 1970s and 80s bands such as Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers came down to the South East London venue to play to full houses.  

In 2019, a substantial £4m National Lottery grant enabled a complete refurbishment.  

On Thursday, 28th November, 2024 this famous Arts and Crafts pub and venue was listed in the Daily Telegraph as number 5 out of the 20 best historical pubs to visit in London.   

Why does it need saving?  

The Fellowship Inn is owned by Phoenix Community Housing, a not-for-profit resident led housing association with the needs of the community at its heart. Since the refurbishment, to their and everyone else’s frustration, the pub and its stunning 1920s cinema and stage room have had to close not once but twice, under the management of commercial operators from outside the area. The result is that the community has twice been denied access to one of its most beautiful and inspiring buildings for sustained periods, and at a time when it has needed it most. 

Who are we?

We are Music and Theatre for All (MTFA), a local charity which has been working for the last 12 months to find ways to help keep the pub open and at the service of the local community. We've hosted black leadership events, film festivals, screenings, comedy nights, Lewisham Council and Lewisham Local events, local schools, film sessions, Lewisham Music, as well as the amazing Lewisham Creative Chorus every week in the stage room at the Fellowship.
We cannot let this wonderful institution go through another cycle of opening and closing. Recent evidence clearly shows that another commercial operator will fail within two years. 
Instead we are putting forward a new approach. Should our proposal be successful, and subject to the agreement of all parties, we have a plan put together with our partners over the last 12 months to run The Fellowship Inn as a non-profit, community-focused venue for the long term. 

How are we able to bring the necessary change?

By collaborating with local partners and working with local people, we can keep the Fellowship open sustainably for our own and future generations. Crucially we have access to transformative grant and foundation funding, money which has not been available to commercial operators.  
Together we can create a vibrant pub with its wonderful set of historic spaces that truly serves the diverse needs and wishes of our community for the long term.  

Our Plan  

• A collaborative non-profit model ensuring support for a sustainable and thriving local pub and community space, for the long term
• Regular arts, comedy, film and cultural programming, with affordable events for all
• Regular classes, creative workshops, parties, DJs and community-focused activities for all the family
• Partnerships with local schools, organisations and businesses
• An exciting, historic, family-friendly pub, kitchen, cinema, and cafe tailored to the area’s needs, providing local jobs and attracting visitors from all over London and beyond  

Our approach will not only make the business as a whole viable but create a thriving cultural hub that reflects and enhances our vibrant community.  

This is what it was built to be.  

Why we need you 

We need your support to show that this is the future our community wants. In the face of commercial pressures, we need to fight to get your voice heard and keep the Fellowship Inn working for the Bellingham, Downham and Grove Park communities, as well as continuing to be an attraction for people from all over London and beyond, as the article in the Telegraph shows it is. Sign this petition today to urge Phoenix Community Housing to consider a non-profit, community-focused operator for The Fellowship Inn. 

Together, we can make The Fellowship Inn a beacon of community spirit for the foreseeable future. 

Sign now and help us make the dream a reality.