SISTER
MIDNIGHT
INVEST NOW
OUR COMMUNITY SHARE OFFER HAS GONE LIVE! THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY THE CHANCE TO INVEST IN SISTER MIDNIGHT, BECOMING A MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY AND PART OWNER OF THE RAVENSBOURNE ARMS, ALONGSIDE OTHER MEMBERS.
OUR VISION
Sister Midnight’s mission is to create an accessible, affordable and inclusive grassroots music venue and community pub, where people can come together and enjoy the best of South East London’s diverse and cutting edge music culture. We want to carry on the legacy of our previous space in Deptford and continue showcasing the wealth of musical talent that Lewisham has to offer.
The challenges faced by grassroots music venues, most notably the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have made it clear as day - if we want to make sure that there will still be places to experience live music, then the communities that use these venues need to have ownership of them. That’s why we’re asking our community to invest in Sister Midnight, and help us create Lewisham’s first community owned live music pub.
It’s time to protect our music venues, so let’s work together as a community to save the Ravensbourne Arms, and create a truly grassroots space where we put local music and local people at the heart of what we do.
ABOUT SISTER MIDNIGHT
Sister Midnight was formerly a grassroots music venue based in Deptford. Established in 2018, we quickly became an important part of our local music scene, and a place where people could come together in celebration of South East London's music culture.
When we had to leave our space during the pandemic, we decided to establish a new community benefit society, Sister Midnight Community Venues Limited, and work towards saving the Ravensbourne Arms pub on Lewisham High Street.
THE RAVENSBOURNE ARMS
Located just south of the bustling Lewisham Centre, the Ravensbourne Arms is a detached public house built in 1934, although there has been a public house on this site since the 1750’s. Originally known as the Coach and Horses, it was renamed the Ravensbourne Arms in 2012, after the Ravensbourne river which flows through Lewisham.
Sadly, the Ravensbourne Arms closed in 2016 after it was sold to private property developers who intended to convert the site for residential use. Although the upper two floors of the building have now been converted into flats, Lewisham council have declined to grant a change of use for the pub itself, citing its community importance as a factor.
WHAT ARE COMMUNITY SHARES?
Community Shares are a form of withdrawable share capital that can only be issues by co-operative and community benefit societies. Investing in a community business by purchasing community shares provides them with the capital they need to grow.
Societies can pay a modest level of interest on share capital, and you can withdraw your shares and get your money back, subject to the rules of the society.
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY
BENEFIT SOCIETY?
A Community Benefit Society is a not-for-profit business structure that is owned and democratically controlled by the community it serves.
Community benefit societies can issue community shares, and anyone who buys a shares becomes a member of the society with voting rights, giving them a say on how the business is run. The society operated on the co-operative principles of one member, one vote, so voting power can never be bought.
SUPPORT
PRESS
Sister Midnight Community Venues Ltd is officially registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as a Community Benefit Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Society Acts 2014.
our FCA register number is: 8598
