Greene King has increased its annual support for Pub is The Hub's advisory activities and Community Services Fund to £25k. This is the sixth year of Greene King’s support, now totalling £100k.
Pub is The Hub provides a range of free advice to licensees, communities and local authorities, who wish to use the pub to broaden their services to the wider community. The organisation helps to inspire them with small grants from its Community Services Fund and so far, 29 different types of activity have been created around the country, including new village stores, libraries and community cafés and cinemas, all of which are making a big impact on their neighbourhoods.
For every £1 that is invested by Pub is The Hub, a further £2.10 is matched by other public and private funds. At the current time over 70 projects are in the pipeline seeking funding.
John Longden, chief executive of Pub is The Hub said: 'We are very grateful for the generosity of Greene King as a donor for this long-term support as they help the continuity of both our advisors’ work and the Community Services Fund itself. Small grants support inspirational licensees and projects which are tacking a lot of social issues today. They also prove that small pots of money can go a very long way if our regional advisors can help and support services and activities that can be situated in the one place that is warm, welcoming and open all week – the pub.”
Rooney Anand, Greene King’s chief executive said: “Pubs play an important role in the community they serve, so it’s inspiring to see the ways in which they diversify to offer services that no longer exist in their area. Pub is The Hub’s Community Services Fund is a valuable way to enable this to happen so locals can still receive these services, such as a post office or library. We are proud that our support has now reached a £100,000 enabling more these projects to happen.”
At the Saracen’s Head in Shirley near Ashbourne in Derbyshire, Robin and Terri Hunter opened the Church Lane Deli at the pub as an essential new service, both for the village and surrounding area. It is open six days a week and staffed by two new employees, involving local people and providing somewhere to meet up, to buy every day provisions and to support local suppliers.