Pub is The Hub will be supporting diversification projects for Welsh pubs after receiving a grant of £25,000 from The Prince’s Countryside Fund.
Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification so they can provide viable local services at the heart of their community.
The new two-year programme will enable Pub is The Hub to help some pubs provide much needed local services and amenities in rural areas across Wales. This could include a wide range of diversification projects such as village stores, community cafes, IT Hubs, allotments and libraries.
Malcolm Harrison, Wales advisor and director at Pub is The Hub, said: “This marvellous support and encouragement from The Prince’s Countryside Fund will make a big difference to many rural communities in Wales, enabling Pub is The Hub to support local diversification projects at a very challenging time for people and businesses in many rural areas.
“We are looking for good publicans in Wales with pubs that can offer a vital service to people in their local area.”
Pub is The Hub chief executive John Longden said: “This new project funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund will allow Pub is The Hub’s Community Services Fund, to offer small grants together with advice and guidance, to help local publicans make a difference in their rural Welsh communities.”
Keith Halstead, executive director, of the PCF said: “The PCF is pleased to support Pub is the Hub in developing its support to rural communities across Wales. The pub is often at the heart of community life and the PCF’s investment in this vital project will enable more publicans to provide essential services which residents need.
Pub is The Hub successfully completed 20 projects in Wales between 2009 and 2013, when previous funding was in place, and had contact with over 100 pubs that were interested in diversifying.
Find out more about Pub is The Hub at www.pubisthehub.org.uk get the full details on the criteria and an expression of interest form by emailing support@pubisthehub.org.uk
Editor’s Notes
Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation, which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification or the options for the community ownership of pubs, so they can all provide viable local services at the heart of their community.
With a proven track record of rural project development and delivery over the last 20 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 almost 200 of these benefitting from help through the Community Services Fund.
Building on its community services work, in 2018 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
Notes to editors
Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010, The Prince’s Countryside Fund is the only UK-wide charity that empowers family farms and rural communities to ensure their future. Over the past decade, The Prince’s Countryside Fund has invested more than £10 million to over 400 projects working across the UK which improve service provision in rural areas, support farming businesses and rural enterprises, and provide training opportunities for young people. We’ve supported nearly 1000 farming families to take charge of their business through The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, and working with our Farm Support Group Initiative, helped countless others to access local support when it’s needed most.
The countryside, what it does, what it produces and what it offers impacts on us all. The Prince’s Countryside Fund wishes to see a thriving countryside – a living, breathing, working place, so that it is there for everyone. In order to create a real future for rural Britain, we work in a number of ways:
- Investing at least £500,000 through our grant programmes for rural communities to catalyse community-led solutions, and illuminating their success so that others can follow.
- Leading initiatives, such as The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme which offers free environmental and business skills training to family farms across the UK.
- Developing new schemes to assist young people and new entrants into farming and strengthening our networks of support such as the Farm Support Groups Initiative so they are ready and able to provide local support to farming communities.
- Commissioning research into issues affecting farming families and rural communities.
- Being an advocate for the countryside by bringing together individuals and businesses to help tackle current challenges such as the climate crisis.
- Helping communities in crisis through our Emergency Fund and by collaborating with Farming Help.
To find out more, visit the Fund’s website at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk
Press release from Pub is the Hub
Contact: michelleperrett@pubisthehub.org.uk