Tonia Antoniazzi MP, the new Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, is calling for pubs nationwide to enter the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards to recognise pubs which support their local communities.
The 2025 awards are organised by PubAid – the positive voice for UK pubs – in association with Matthew Clark, the national drinks wholesaler and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. Pubs can enter themselves and MPs also nominate pubs in their constituencies.
Tonia Antoniazzi said: “I was honoured to attend the awards last year and meet so many dedicated Publicans to hear about how they support their local communities. I am calling out for all MPs to nominate at least one pub in their constituency for these important awards.
The awards relaunched last year with more categories, regional winners and a glittering new look and feel. This resulted in a record number of entries and the finalists and winners honoured at an award ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.
Co-founder of PubAid, Des O’Flanagan said: “We’re aiming for another successful year. It always humbles me to hear so many amazing entries from pubs who are doing such wonderful work for their communities. I know that the judges found it very inspiring to learn about the great work done in our industry.
“We’re here to celebrate what Publicans do to support their local areas and charities in whatever way they can. It’s not about the amount of money that people raise or running the most sport teams, it’s about the creative ways that landlords support and the impact that this has within the community.”
Pubs and pub companies across the UK are encouraged to enter one of five categories. The following three categories also have a regional winner from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Community Support Hero which celebrates a pub that truly supports its local area; Community Fundraising Hero for the pub that raises money for charity; Community Regular Hero for an individual who goes above and beyond.
Rob Sandall, Director of Regional Sales (England & Wales) at Matthew Clark said: “This is our sixth year sponsoring the Community Pub Hero Awards. We love to celebrate the great work done by individual pubs and their teams at a grassroots level to help local charities, environmental initiatives, sports teams and more. It’s an honour for us to meet so many wonderful and hardworking Publicans from across all four corners of the UK.”
Two new categories that were introduced for the 2024 event are back for 2025; Community Sport Hero which recognises a pub that truly supports grassroots sport in its area or brings the community together via sporting events; and Community Sustainability Hero which will recognise the efforts of a pub going above and beyond in terms of helping to protect the environment locally.
Pubs, pub companies and MPs can also nominate pubs in their constituencies, via the PubAid website: https://www.pubaid.co.uk/community-pub-hero-awards/
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For more information and to speak to Des O’Flanagan please contact Emma Trimble or Cara Churchman at PubAid on emma@justnothing.co.uk and cara@justnothing.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The categories
Community Support Hero: recognising licensees who help their communities. If your pub is a ‘good neighbour’ to your local community, then this award is for you!
Charity Fundraising Hero: recognising pubs who support charities and other good causes through fundraising. This is not just judged on the amount of money raised, but on how it was done
Community Hero Regular: recognising an individual or group of customers who help the pub’s fundraising efforts or its work to support the community.
Community Sport Hero: recognising pubs who bring the community together via sport. This could be events for national sport competitions or at a grass roots level with local teams.
Community Sustainability: recognising how pubs are helping the environment whether that’s in pub itself or within the local area.
Community Pub Hero Awards: PubAid launched its Charity Fundraiser Pub Awards in 2018, with sponsorship from C&C and support from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. The awards ran again in 2019, sponsored by Matthew Clark, and in 2020, with pubs closed for months due to Covid, they were reshaped and renamed as the Community Pub Hero Awards.
PubAid is a not for profit organisation, supported by over 40 pub companies, industry suppliers and trade organisations. We are the positive voice for pubs, shining a light on the impact that pubs have on their communities.
In a world where negative headlines often dominate, it’s easy to forget the vital role pubs play in our communities. PubAid has one purpose – we exist to shine a light on the positive impact of pubs, reminding everyone that without them, much of the heart and support within our communities would be lost.
Founded in 2009 by a number of senior pub industry figures, PubAid was born out of a desire to counterbalance the often unfair media portrayal of pubs and to celebrate the good they bring to society.
Pubs provide invaluable financial, practical and emotional support to their communities. Without this support, grass roots sport, charities, good causes and local people would suffer. Pubs raise more than £100 million every year for charity and donate a further £40 million in funds or in-kind support to grassroots sports.
Matthew Clark is a leading national drinks wholesaler with over 200 years’ experience supplying drink products, hospitality training, labour management and marketing support to over 16,000 On-Trade premises in the UK.
The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group was set up in 1993 and has a membership of over 150 MPs and Peers. The Beer Group’s objectives are to broaden recognition of the enormous contribution of brewing and pubs to the UK economy from grain to glass – and to celebrate the unique role that beer and pubs play in our society
For more information and to speak to Des O’Flanagan please contact Emma Trimble or Cara Churchman at PubAid on emma@justnothing.co.uk and cara@justnothing.co.uk
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