Grant Funding Available to Help Pubs Add New Services and Activities

Pub is The Hub may be able to offer grants of up to £6,000 to publicans in rural, remote, or deprived areas, who want to offer additional services and/or activities in their pubs to help local communities.  

These can include a range of services from community cafes, village stores, and allotments, to activities such as theatre and craft workshops, to help bring people together to combat social isolation and loneliness.

The not-for-profit organisation, founded by HM King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales, offers independent specialist advice to publicans and their communities on service diversification and activities, so they can provide viable local services at the heart of their communities.

Pub is The Hub chief executive John Longden OBE said: “In isolated rural and deprived areas, adding a service such as a village store, community café or running activities such as craft workshops or theatre at the local pub can be a great way to support people living locally.”  

Publican Rhiannon Metters of The Halfway, Tal-Y-Coed, Wales has opened a village store and a marquee events space with help from Pub is The Hub.

“We are situated in an isolated rural community with the pub being the hub of the area. It is so important that we support local people ensuring they do not feel isolated and alone. With the nearest supermarket being 20 mins away the village store here in this isolated rural area is such a support to people in the local community,” she said.

“The marquee has become a space where we run local courses such as CPR and craft workshops to help bring people together. We have noticed that there are a lot of new people, including women on their own, coming in to use the pub, either using the village store or joining for classes.”

As well as helping the publicans to engage further with their local community, projects can also add social value to an area.  For every £1 spent on a new project through the Pub is The Hub, £8.28 of social value is created. 

Social value measures the added value an initiative brings to society and takes into account the wider social, economic and environmental wellbeing benefits that a service or project can bring to an area.

Pub is The Hub recently revealed it will be helping and advising more pubs to diversify their local services and activities after receiving access to Government funding.

·       Pubs will need to meet the eligibility criteria but if you would like further information, then please go to www.pubisthehub.org.uk 

·       Are you a pub that wants to diversify your services or activities? Read more: https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/news/are-you-a-pub-business-that-wants-to-diversify/ 

·       Then please contact enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk or fill out this Expression of Interest Form.  

Image of projects supported by Pub is The Hub

·        The Halfway in Tal-y-Coed has opened a village store and events marquee. (Pictured: Publican Rhiannon Metters with Pub is The Hub advisor Roger Belle.

Editor’s Notes

Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation, which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification and activities so they can provide viable local services and social value at the heart of their community. 

With a proven track record of rural project development and delivery over the last 25 years, Pub is The Hub has worked with great publicans to open shops, libraries, cafes, community cinemas, allotments, play areas and much more. Since 2013, the organisation has also been able to offer small grants through its Community Services Fund.

Pub is The Hub has helped over 600 pubs diversify, with more than 200 of these benefitting from help through the Community Services Fund.

Building on its community services work in 2019 Pub is The Hub conceived its ‘Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness’ campaign. ‘Join Inn’, specifically looks to support publicans and their communities to become better connected, helping local people feel less isolated and, in the process helping to alleviate loneliness.

Website: www.pubisthehub.org.uk

Twitter: @PubistheHub_uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pubisthehub

Contact: michelleperrett@pubisthehub.org.uk

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