A WELL-KNOWN local publican has taken his commitment to community causes a step further after joining a long-established Rotary club serving the Bexhill and St Leonards area.
Peter Prior, landlord of The Bull Inn in St Leonards, was formally inducted into the Rotary Club of Senlac St Leonards during a meeting held at Cooden Beach Golf Club on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
He was sponsored by fellow Rotarian Andy Cruttenden and welcomed into the club by President Terry Mahindrakar.
Peter, who was born in the 1960s and raised in Woolwich, began his career in banking, spending five years with National Westminster before moving to a Singaporean bank, where he rose to the position of Vice President.
Following his retirement from the banking sector, Peter and his wife Pauline relocated to Spain, where they embraced a new lifestyle and took on a variety of roles including bar work and estate agency. It was during this time that the couple also became heavily involved in charitable work, founding and running a food charity to support those in need.
Their eventual return to East Sussex came after a friend alerted them to an opportunity at The Bull Inn in St Leonards. Knowing Peter’s passion for hospitality, he was encouraged to take on the role of manager. In October 2016, Peter and Pauline began running the pub, and two years later secured the tenancy themselves.
Peter said: “I’ve always loved bar work and it’s always been a second job for me, so when the opportunity came to run one, we took it.”
Since taking over The Bull Inn, the couple have built a strong reputation for supporting local causes, hosting charity events and collections throughout the year. Among their regular initiatives is an annual fundraising party in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Explaining his decision to join Rotary, Peter said his motivation was rooted in a lifelong desire to give back.
He said: “Pauline and I have always been interested in helping the community and raising money for charity. Now at The Bull we do a number of charity events and collections. I see Rotary as an opportunity for me to help the community even more.”
The Rotary Club of Senlac St Leonards is part of the global Rotary network, bringing together volunteers dedicated to supporting local and international charitable projects.
For more information about the club and its work, visit www.senlacstleonardsrotary.org.
