# Pubtopia CIC — full site text Source: https://pubtopiacic.com/ > Pubtopia CIC is a grassroots Community Interest Company in Tal-y-Coed, rural Monmouthshire (near Abergavenny, Wales), turning local conversations into practical community action. ## Overview Pubtopia CIC grew out of conversations at The Halfway, a country pub in Tal-y-Coed near Abergavenny. It is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC 16276297) founded by Rhi Metters, working to reduce rural isolation, improve wellbeing, support the local economy and create opportunities for people to connect and belong. Its work includes a community shop stocking local produce, The Pit Stop for walkers, riders and cyclists, monthly dementia and memory loss friendly openings, creative and wellbeing workshops led by local makers, and dog-friendly Bell Tent Stays whose income funds the community programme. ## Key facts - Name: Pubtopia CIC - Legal structure: Community Interest Company (CIC 16276297) - Founder: Rhi Metters - Base: The Halfway, Tal-y-Coed, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 8TL, Wales - Area served: Rural Monmouthshire and the surrounding Welsh borders - Purpose: Reducing rural isolation and strengthening local community life - Email: projectpubtopia@outlook.com - Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7927 083691 ## Programmes ### Community Shop — Open now A small shop at The Halfway stocking everyday essentials alongside produce from nearby farms, bakers and makers, so people don't need a long drive for a pint of milk. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/shop ### The Pit Stop — Open now A rest point for walkers, riders, cyclists and runners passing through — shelter, water and a friendly welcome. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/what-we-do ### Dementia and Memory Loss Friendly Openings — Monthly, free to attend Relaxed, non-clinical monthly openings with a small affordable menu and gentle live music, for people living with dementia or memory loss along with carers, families and friends. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/dementia-friendly-cafes ### Creative & Wellbeing Workshops — Running through the year Ceramics, lino printing, mosaics, wreath making, needle felting and more, led by local makers and priced to cover materials and the maker's time. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/whats-on ### Bell Tent Stays — Available from March 2027 Dog-friendly canvas stays in the surrounding fields. Income from stays helps fund the community programme rather than private profit. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/bell-tent-stays ### Respite Breaks — Planned for 2027 Short countryside breaks for unpaid carers and families who need a pause, using the same site and facilities. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/what-we-do ### Comedy Nights — In development Affordable rural entertainment so people don't have to travel into a city for a night out. More: https://pubtopiacic.com/what-we-do ## Recognition - Invited to Downing Street in recognition of community work. - Recognised at the Wales Food & Drink Awards for work with local producers. ## Coming up ### Dementia and Memory Loss Friendly Openings - When: Last Friday of every month, 12:00 – 14:00 - Where: The Halfway, Tal-y-Coed - Price: Free — drop in A relaxed, non-clinical environment with a small affordable menu and relaxed live music — for people experiencing dementia or memory loss, plus carers, families and loved ones. ### Ceramics Workshop — Autumn Themed - When: Saturday 3 October 2026, 12:00 – 14:00 or 15:00 – 17:00 - Where: The Halfway, Tal-y-Coed - Price: £45 - Led by: Melanie Made Mud (https://melaniemademud.com/) An autumn-themed ceramics workshop with Melanie Made Mud, bringing people together for a relaxed, creative session. ## Past events (track record) - Chunky Knitting Workshop — June 2025, The Halfway, Tal-y-Coed. A friendly, hands-on session making chunky scarves and cushion covers with oversized needles and Welsh wool. - Christmas Wreath Making — December 2024, The Halfway marquee. A festive wreath-making morning using fresh local foliage, dried fruit and ribbon. - Chunky Wool Pumpkin Workshop — Autumn 2024, The Halfway marquee. Hands-on chunky-wool pumpkin making in the marquee — a packed afternoon of colour, craft and community. - Lino Printing Evening — November 2024, The Halfway. Carve and print your own seasonal greetings card in a relaxed, creative session. - Forest Foraging Walk — October 2024, Whitecastle woods. Guided autumn foraging walk identifying edible plants and mushrooms in the local woodland. - Mosaic Workshop — September 2024, The Halfway. Hands-on glass mosaic workshop in the marquee — patient, creative and meditative. - Pottery Wheels Workshop — Summer 2024, The Halfway. Throwing clay on the wheel under expert guidance — beginner-friendly and joyfully messy. - Needle Felting Workshop — Spring 2024, The Halfway. A tactile, creative felt-making workshop for the community. - Clay Hand-Building — Spring 2024, The Halfway marquee. A relaxed afternoon of hand-built pots, figures and fairy houses in clay. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Pubtopia CIC? Pubtopia CIC is a Community Interest Company based at The Halfway in Tal-y-Coed, rural Monmouthshire. It runs practical community projects — a community shop, a rest stop for walkers and riders, dementia and memory loss friendly openings, creative workshops and Bell Tent Stays — aimed at reducing rural isolation. ### Is Pubtopia a pub? No. Pubtopia began through conversations at The Halfway, a country pub, and still uses the building and fields as its base, but Pubtopia itself is a Community Interest Company running community projects, not a pub business. ### Where is Pubtopia based? The Halfway, Tal-y-Coed, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 8TL, in rural south-east Wales. ### Who can attend Pubtopia events? Everyone is welcome. The dementia and memory loss friendly openings are designed for people living with dementia or memory loss along with their carers, families and friends. Workshops are open to anyone, with places limited by the size of the room. ### Do Pubtopia events cost anything? The dementia and memory loss friendly openings are free to drop in to. Creative workshops are ticketed, priced to cover materials and the local maker's time rather than to make a profit. ### How is Pubtopia funded? Through a mix of community trading income — the shop, workshops and Bell Tent Stays — alongside grants and local support. As a Community Interest Company, surpluses are reinvested in the community programme. ### What is a Community Interest Company (CIC)? A CIC is a UK limited company that exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. It has an asset lock, so its assets and profits must be used for the community purpose it was set up to serve. ### Can I volunteer or get involved with Pubtopia? Yes. Volunteers, local makers, suppliers and partner organisations are all welcome — get in touch at projectpubtopia@outlook.com or via the contact form on the website. ### Does Pubtopia work with other organisations? Yes. Pubtopia works alongside local partners including Monmouthshire Food Partnership, along with nearby farms, producers, makers and community groups. ### How can I contact Pubtopia? By email at projectpubtopia@outlook.com, by phone or WhatsApp on +44 7927 083691, or through the contact form at https://pubtopiacic.com/contact. ## How to make your venue dementia and memory loss friendly Source: https://pubtopiacic.com/guides/dementia-friendly-venue We run monthly dementia and memory loss friendly openings at The Halfway in rural Monmouthshire. People often ask how it works, so here is what we have learned in plain terms. None of it needs a big budget — most of it is about atmosphere, pace and welcome. ### Start with the atmosphere, not the equipment - Keep the session non-clinical. It should feel like a normal social visit, not an appointment. - Turn background music down or off, and choose live music that is gentle and quiet rather than amplified. - Reduce hard, echoing noise where you can — soft furnishings, cloths on tables, closing a door to the kitchen. - Keep lighting even and warm. Avoid strong contrasts, glare and heavy patterns on floors, which can read as steps or obstacles. ### Make the practical details easy - Pick a fixed, memorable slot — ours is the last Friday of every month — so it becomes a habit rather than something to remember. - Make it free to drop in, with no booking, so nobody has to plan ahead or commit. - Offer a very short, affordable menu. Long menus are hard work; two or three familiar choices are kinder. - Use plain crockery with good colour contrast against the food and the table. - Signpost the toilets clearly with words and a picture, and keep the route to them obvious. - Check parking, step-free access and somewhere to sit near the entrance. ### Look after carers too - Welcome carers, families and friends as guests in their own right, not as helpers. - Give people permission to leave early, sit quietly or come back next month — say it out loud. - Have a quieter corner or side room for anyone who becomes overwhelmed. - Let people talk to each other. Some of the most valuable minutes are two carers realising they aren't the only one. ### Prepare your team - Brief everyone working the session: slow down, speak clearly, offer one thing at a time, and never correct or argue with someone's version of events. - Agree who greets people at the door — a familiar face matters more than a rota. - Keep first aid cover in place. We have CPR and defibrillator training and a defibrillator on site. - Link up with local support organisations so you can point people towards help you cannot give yourself. ### Then keep going - Expect small numbers at first. Trust builds over months, not weeks. - Tell people the same thing in the same place every month — poster in the window, local Facebook group, word of mouth via the surgery and the shop. - Ask the people who come what would make it better, and change one thing at a time. If you are setting something similar up nearby and want to compare notes, we are glad to talk — get in touch and we will share what worked and what didn't. ## Starting a community project in a rural village Source: https://pubtopiacic.com/guides/starting-a-rural-community-project Pubtopia began with conversations across the bar at The Halfway. People wanted connection, practical help and somewhere to belong. Here is how we turned that into an organisation, and the things we would tell anyone doing the same in their own village. ### Begin with what people actually say they need - Listen before you plan. Our projects came from repeated conversations, not from a strategy document. - Look for the small friction in rural life: the eight-mile round trip for milk, the walker with nowhere to shelter, the carer with nowhere to go for two hours. - Solve one of those properly before adding the next. A shop that reliably has bread beats three half-finished ideas. ### Choose a structure that matches your intent - We registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC). It is a limited company with an asset lock, so profits and assets have to serve the community purpose. - A CIC can trade openly, which suited us because our shop, workshops and stays generate income. - A charity, CIO or unincorporated community group may fit better if you rely mainly on donations and grants — take advice, but don't let the decision stall you for months. ### Use the building you already have - Rural areas rarely need a new building; they need existing ones used differently. A pub, chapel, hall or barn already has heat, a kitchen, parking and familiarity. - Familiarity is an asset — people will walk into a place they already know when they would not walk into an office. - Check insurance, licensing, food hygiene and accessibility early rather than after your first event. ### Fund it from more than one place - Mix trading income with grants. Trading gives you control; grants let you do the parts that will never pay for themselves. - Be honest with funders about scale. Small, real numbers in a village are more convincing than ambitious projections. - Keep the free things free. If the community sessions start needing to make money, the project has drifted. ### Build the network before you need it - Work with local producers, makers and farms — it keeps money local and gives you allies. - Join the partnerships that already exist in your county rather than starting a parallel one. - Say yes to visits, awards and press when they come. Recognition opens doors that cold emails do not. ### Pace yourself - Rural projects run on a handful of people. Protect them — burnout is the most common cause of closure. - Write down how each session runs so it isn't held only in one person's head. - Measure what changed for people, not just how many attended. None of this is theory — it is what happened to us in one Monmouthshire village. If you are starting out and want to ask something specific, get in touch. ## Contact Contact form: https://pubtopiacic.com/contact Attribution: please cite Pubtopia CIC and link to https://pubtopiacic.com.