A pub run by a Norfolk village is hoping to raise £25,000 to prevent its possible closure.

The bosses of the White Horse in Upton, the oldest community-run pub in Norfolk, have said the venue might not survive the winter months without an injection of cash.

The pub, which is run by the White Horse Development Trust CIC, announced five new directors including a new chairman earlier this month in a bid to breathe new life into the business.

And now the board is asking people to help save the venue by donating money to a crowdfunding effort.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The future King Charles visiting the White Horse pub in Upton in 2016. The future King Charles visiting the White Horse pub in Upton in 2016. (Image: Archant)

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The owners said: "While we are doing everything we can to improve the company’s trading performance, we have now reached the point that we may have insufficient financial resources to survive the winter months."

The White Horse was bought by villagers after having previously been on the brink of closure in 2012.

Three years later, a community shop, open seven days a week, was added by converting some of the pub's outbuildings.

The owners said the pub and shop are "an important part of our village life" - but despite their efforts the pub has been incurring losses which means has resulted in "real pressure on finances".  

"The last two years have been very difficult for the UK hospitality trade, and many pubs have been forced to close.

"We have survived so far. We are asking our community shareholders to help but the time has come that without a real show of wider support, we fear we will not be able to continue to operate beyond the winter," they said. 

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The money would pay for fixing the roof and other repairs.

There are plans the pub will close for a week in January for refurbishment work before a relaunch in the second week of the month.

To donate to the campaign, search the website Crowdfunder for the Upton White Horse Community Pub.