Speaking to Community Hero Award Winner Ceri at the Red Lion, Northop

At the heart of every great local pub is someone who genuinely cares about the people around them — and that’s exactly why Ceri from the Red Lion was named this year’s Trust Inns Community Hero Award winner.

Since taking over the pub in 2024 alongside her partner Dean, Ceri has worked tirelessly to breathe new life into one of Northop’s most loved venues. From fundraising for local causes to creating events that bring people together, her passion for hospitality and community shines through in everything she does.

We caught up with Ceri to hear more about her journey back into hospitality, the challenges of taking on the Red Lion, and why giving back to the community is at the centre of everything they do.

Ceri’s story in Hospitality

Although relatively new to running a pub when she took over, hospitality has always played a huge role in Ceri’s life.

“When I was younger, I grew up across from the cricket field,” she explained. “My sister and I started off waitressing there, then eventually moved onto bar work”

Life later took her in different directions , building a career and raising a family . But the love for hospitality never disappeared.

“I was in London at an event once and someone asked me, ‘What’s been your favourite job?’ Straight away I said hospitality. There wasn’t a day I didn’t want to go in.”

That conversation became the turning point.

“I had a bit of a mid-life crisis,” she laughed. “I decided I was going to do it properly — get my license, do everything I needed to do…and I did. We haven’t looked back since.”

Bringing the Red Lion back to life

Taking over the Red Lion wasn’t simply a business opportunity for Ceri — it was deeply personal.

“As locals, we’d spent years coming here as a family,” she said. “I had my 21st birthday here, my sister had her 30th here. You remember all those happy memories.”

When the pub closed, Ceri and Dean felt the village had lost something important. “We knew it needed life bringing back into it and a bit of love.”

Of course, rebuilding a pub’s reputation and reconnecting with the community takes time: “We knew it wouldn’t happen overnight and it would take time to build people’s trust back,” she explained. “But Dean fully supported me from the beginning and trusted my decision.”

For Ceri, success hasn’t been measured by awards or numbers alone — it’s the smaller moments that have meant the most.

“One moment that really stayed with me was when Graeme Sharpe came in,” she said, referring to former Everton striker.

“He told us the cricket club across the road had been talking about us and recommending us. That was really, really nice to hear. A little moment for us that things were becoming a success”

A pub built around community

Community support is woven into almost everything the Red Lion does.

One of the first initiatives Ceri introduced was helping raise money for the church opposite the pub as it needed to restore it’s clock tower. “When we first started, for every mixed roast we sold, £1 would be donated to the church,” she explained. “That money kind of adds up, doesn’t it? Between our contributions and other donations, they managed to get it rebuilt, which was amazing.”

The pub has also become a hub for regular community events. Their monthly bingo nights have become so popular that people now book tables in advance. “You never really had to book bingo before — you’d just turn up,” Ceri said. “But this has become a really big thing for us.”

Every Wednesday, the Red Lion also hosts a community quiz night, bringing locals together week after week.

The pub also sponsors a local girls’ football team, with a framed kit proudly displayed on the wall. “We donate vouchers and sponsor the local female football team,” Ceri said. “The girls come here, their parents come here and even the grandparents come here.”

The Red Lion has even hosted its own “Northop’s Got Talent” event for local children and families, with former Britain’s Got Talent act, Chico Slimani, appearing as a guest judge.

Supporting causes that matter

Alongside community events, the pub regularly raises money for charities close to local people’s hearts.

“We support lots of different charities,” Ceri explained. “The biggest one for us has been Nightingale House Hospice. It’s palliative care and it’s something that affects so many people.”

A well-deserved award

Ceri’s story is a reminder that pubs are about far more than food and drink — they’re places where friendships are formed, memories are made and communities come together.

Through hard work, warmth and a genuine commitment to the people around her, Ceri has helped restore the Red Lion to the heart of Northop.

Winning the Trust Inns Community Hero Award is a fitting recognition for someone who has put community at the centre of everything she does. Well Done to Ceri, Dean, and the Team.