- Rural pubs to receive funding to help broaden their
services
- As part of the Plan for Change, projects include community
cafes, village stores and play areas
- For every £1 invested in these projects, over £8 social value
is generated, new data shows
In a boost for our great British boozers, rural pubs across the
UK will benefit from new government funding to help them provide
extra services for local communities. Projects will include
creating community cafes, village stores, and play areas, and
will help pubs bring residents and families together.
The projects have been identified by Pub is The Hub – a
non-profit organisation supporting local pubs to diversify their
services. Their Social Value Report spotlit more than 40 pub
projects currently stuck in limbo due to a lack of funding.
In response, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has
committed £440,000 to help Pub is The Hub deliver these
projects.
From North Yorkshire to Ceredigion and Cornwall, funding will
help support local jobs and opportunities whilst increasing
community cohesion as part of the Plan for Change.
, Minister Employment Rights
and Consumer Protection, said:
“Rural pubs are hubs of their communities, and this government
wants to support these vital community assets, creating jobs,
supporting local economies, and providing residents with a place
to socialise and come together.
“That's why, as part of the Plan for Change, we're keen to help
secure their future with this funding, alongside measures to
slash red tape, modernise licensing and to create a fairer
business rates system.”
New research by Pub is The Hub shows that for every £1 invested
in the provision of new services or activities, there is a return
in social value of over £8.
So far, the organisation has supported hundreds of
diversification projects and aims to help 1,000 more pubs over
the next three years, creating 2,500 jobs and 1,600 services for
over one million residents.
John Longden OBE and Chief Executive of Pub is The Hub,
said:
“We would like to thank the Department for Business and Trade for
recognising the important role that pubs and publicans have in
rural and deprived areas.
“Publicans with their individual pub businesses have a vital
social role in supporting local communities and helping people to
overcome social isolation and alleviate feelings of loneliness.
They have a significant social value that is beyond economic
impact. They are crucial in helping to bring people together and
inspiring the provision of lost services and
amenities.”
To mark the launch of the funding, , Minister for Employment
Rights and Consumer Protection, met with John Longden, CEO of Pub
is the Hub, MP, Chair of the APPG
Beer Group, and Molly Davis from the British Institute of
Innkeeping, to discuss the positive impact funding will have, as
well as the Government's wider support offer for the hospitality
industry.
Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King and Co-Chair of the
Licensing Taskforce, said:
“We are pleased to be long-term supporters of Pub Is The Hub,
which works so hard to help pubs with practical advice in
extending their community services.
“No one can underestimate the huge social and economic value of
pubs. Our pubs are more than bricks and mortar where people eat
and drink – they are places where people come together for all
occasions and celebrations, they offer local employment and
careers for people of all ages and can help in tackling
loneliness.
“Additional access to funding and less red tape is some welcome
news to help pubs continue to adapt to meet the needs of their
local communities.”
ENDS
Background
- On 7 October, the Government launched a four week Call for
Evidence (CfE) on the UK's licensing system, to give locals and
landlords the opportunity to feed into reforms that will make it
easier and cheaper for pubs, bars and local events to open and
run, while keeping the communities they serve safe. The CfE will
focus on nine key recommendations from the Government's Licensing
Taskforce, with particular emphasis on streamlining on-trade
alcohol licensing for hospitality and leisure venues.
- The Government is creating a fairer business rates system
that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit
for the 21st century. From 2026-27, the government intends to
introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality,
and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RV) less than
£500,000.
