Grants of up to £6,000 are available to Community Interest Companies, Parish Councils, Cooperatives, Community Benefit Societies, Companies Limited by Guarantee and individuals (including publicans) in England, Scotland and Wales to enable rural pub owners, licensees and their local communities to work together to support, retain and provide local services, where possible, within a local pub.
Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation based at the Regional Agricultural Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground. The organisation offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification so they can all provide viable local services or activities which add social value in their local area.
Over the past 25 years, Pub is The Hub has been able to help hundreds of pubs to diversify, with many receiving both advisory and financial support through its Community Services Fund. Pub is The Hub’s future vision, subject to funding, is to help 1,000 more pubs diversify over the next 3 years.
Pub is The Hub’s Community Services Fund is currently offering grants of up to £6,000 to publicans in rural, remote or deprived areas to support the introduction of new services and activities that benefit local communities (a rural community is normally considered to be a settlement with a population of under 10,000 residents). The aim of the programme is to deliver over 40 projects nationwide. Projects can include providing (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
- Allotments
- Community café’s
- Social activities such as events, games clubs and workshops, and
- Village stores. and social activities such as workshops and events.
The programme offers the following support:
- Information on developing a pub into a hub for your community.
- Access to experts in the licensing trade before making any decisions on diversifying.
- Free of charge support, including public relations and media coverage, and
- A grant contribution of up to £6,000, subject to meeting Pub is the Hub’s guidelines, to support any type of project identified that would support services or activities within a community.
To apply, Pub is The Hub recommends taking the following steps:
- Survey your customers and local residents to establish whether a service or activity would be welcomed by them.
- Ask for suggestions for the type of service or activity the locals would like and support.
- Get your Parish Council to engage with and support any project that has been identified.
- Speak to the Local Council to see if any funding would be available to support your project.
- Communication is vital and keeping the local community informed with help generate interest and support.
Complete the Expression of Interest Form available on the Pub is the Hub website.
An Expression of Interest Form may be submitted at any time.
Further information about Pub is The Hub and the Community Services Fund (click on the 'Funding' heading) is available on the Pub is the Hub website.