Greene King’s Pubs Become Community Hubs to Support RunTogether for Let’s Lift the Curfew

Greene King is working with England Athletics for a second year to support RunTogether, who are a key delivery agent of the Let’s Lift the Curfew campaign. The national movement from This Girl Can raises awareness of the safety concerns women face when being active outdoors after dark.

Participating pubs across Greene King’s managed estate will open their doors to RunTogether groups and local running clubs, offering welcoming, well-lit places to meet before and after a run. Runners will also have access to practical facilities including toilets and parking. Building on Greene King’s support last year, the partnership shows how pubs can act as accessible community hubs and help local groups stay active during the darker nights.

As part of its support, Greene King will also host RunTogether’s national showcase run at the Malt House in Birmingham on Thursday, 29 October. Hosted by England Athletics and RunTogether, the event will bring runners, campaign advocates and local people together for guest speaker sessions including former Olympian Jo Pavey MBE. This will be followed by a series of social runs from the Malt House, with runners returning for food and refreshments.

Now in its fourth year, Let’s Lift the Curfew challenges the effect safety concerns can have on women’s ability to exercise outdoors after dark. Research behind the campaign shows that 72% of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter.

Kat Harper, Director of Sustainability at Greene King, said: “Our pubs play an important role at the heart of their communities, as welcoming places where people can meet and come together. We’re pleased to be supporting RunTogether by opening our doors to running groups, helping more people - particularly women - feel more confident getting outdoors and staying active during the darker months.”

Tracey Francis, Head of Participation at England Athletics, said: "RunTogether is delighted to once again join forces with Greene King.

“RunTogether is a key delivery agent for the Let's Lift the Curfew campaign and is always looking for welcoming community hubs for our groups. Greene King and its network of pubs offer a number of compelling reasons for this collaboration, providing warm, welcoming spaces, access to essential facilities such as toilets, ample well-lit parking, and a friendly atmosphere that helps participants feel comfortable and supported before and after their run."

Notes to editors

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer trading c2,500 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.

At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose of ‘We Pour Happiness into Lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 38,000 people across the group and operate three business areas including Managed Pubs, Pub Partners and Brewing & Brands.

• Managed Pubs: Our Managed Pubs bring together our best-known pub and restaurant brands nationwide, including Greene King pubs, Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill. We offer great service, quality and value for a wide range of eating and drinking occasions. Ventures includes Hickory’s, Premium (Crafted Pubs & Metropolitan Pub Company) and Hotels, which operate independently of Greene King’s managed pub brands.

• Pub Partners: Pub Partners runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive and Nest franchise pubs. These options combine entrepreneurial independence with practical support, enabling partners to run successful local businesses within a market‑leading estate. We have c.1,000 leased, tenanted and franchise pubs.

• Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Hazy Day, brewed for the modern-day drinker.

About Let’s Lift the Curfew

Let’s Lift the Curfew is a national movement from This Girl Can that aims to end the curfew imposed on women by safety fears during darker nights. Since launching in 2023, it has brought together women, community groups, sports clubs, organisations and allies to raise awareness and encourage change. In 2025, more than 13,000 people took part in over 390 activities across the country.

About England Athletics

England Athletics develops grassroots athletics and running in England, supporting affiliated clubs, coaches, volunteers and officials. It also delivers campaigns and products that inspire and provide opportunities for people to start running, including RunTogether, its national recreational group-running programme.

For further information please contact Greene King Press Office via PressOffice@greeneking.co.uk.

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