Raising a glass: Beloved village pubs to be helped with new funding to broaden their services

• 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.    

Kate Dearden, 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, Kate Dearden, Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection, met with John Longden, Chief Executive of Pub is The Hub, Tonia Antoniazzi 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 

• You can find more information on the work of Pub is The Hub, including access to funding and advice,  at enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk or go to www.pubisthehub.org.uk 

• 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. 

Contact: Martha Harrison, martha.harrison@businessandtrade.gov.uk

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