Pubs across the country have stepped up to help their local communities through the second national lockdown. Once again, many have pivoted to offer essential supplies to residents, deliver food parcels to the elderly and vulnerable, and boost local morale and mental wellbeing with online quizzes and chats.
PubAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan said: “This second national lockdown, coming hot on the heels of other restrictions, is hitting pubs hard – though this time, licensees and their customers are better prepared. Many pubs have continued to offer the takeaways and deliveries they started in the first lockdown, so they’re already up and running for this one.
“Pubs’ support for their communities is both physical, as they provide food and other vital supplies, and, just as importantly, emotional, with many pubs offering a friendly face and a chat to elderly and vulnerable people who would otherwise feel very isolated. The nation’s mental wellbeing was a big concern during the first lockdown, and pubs, as the social hubs of their communities, can help us all to stay connected over coming weeks.”
Pub Community Heroes
The Roebuck, Mobberley, part of the Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars group, was ready to turn itself back into the successful ‘pub hub’ from the first lockdown. It is again offering its popular ‘Just Heat’ meals – pub favourites, recreated for home dining – takeaway Fish & Chips on Thursdays and Fridays, and a range of sausage rolls, pies, local cheese, eggs and other goodies. The team has also introduced some festive twists including the ‘12 Wines of Christmas’ and hampers of local produce – with an order for 90 already placed by a local company.
Owner Tim Bird says: “Customers have welcomed our efforts to bring some early festive cheer to this rather depressing situation.
“Everything we did during Lockown 1 was about keeping our pubs visible and relevant by supporting our local customers and communities. They told me that we helped to create some good lockdown memories locally, so we’ll be aiming to do the same for the rest of this month.”
The Bowgie Inn in Crantock, north Cornwall, is focusing on helping people’s mental wellbeing during the lockdown. Making the most of its position overlooking Crantock beach, owner Sally Pickles is taking people on daily virtual walks, via Facebook live streams. During Lockdown 1, the Bowgie Inn walks were enjoyed by half a million people around the world, who tuned in to benefit from the calming effect of the beautiful coastline and sounds of the ocean. Sally is also restarting free, weekly live yoga sessions, as another way of helping people combat their anxieties around the pandemic.
Dinnerstone in Saddleworth is working hard to keep local homeless people warm and nourished as the nights grow colder, with a Compassion During Covid drop off point at the front of the pub. Licensee Charles Brierley and team members from Dinnerstone and sister pub The White Hart in Lydgate are requesting donations of essential foods and ingredients to create tasty nutritious meals, which they will distribute to homeless people in Greater Manchester. They are also appealing for warm clothing and sleeping bags and have raised £350 in online donations.
At The Red Hart in Blaisdon, Gloucestershire, licensee Sharon Hookings is helping the community in a different way to Lockdown 1. She says: “This lockdown feels different, with different needs locally; there’s not the same demand for the village store we operated in the pub last time. However, we’re doing shopping for any vulnerable residents who need it and offering takeaways over the weekend and a selection of fresh bakery goods every Friday afternoon.” The pub is continuing its weekly quiz on Zoom, offering takeway pizzas with £2 from each sale going to a local special needs school.
The Hope in West Norwood has brought back its popular takeaway service from Lockdown 1, including Pie & Mash and a Sunday Roast. They are also able to offer free roasts to a number of deserving people each week, thanks to donations from local residents and businesses – West Norwood Football Club provided four meals last week. During the first lockdown, the pub provided free meals to families, people isolating with COVID and key workers.
At The Dog & Parrot in Eastwood, near Nottingham, owners Kathryn & David Boam are again supporting local vulnerable residents by shopping for groceries, collecting prescriptions and offering a friendly face and voice – socially distanced. During the first lockdown, the pub acted as a vital hub, helping residents who were shielding to stay physically and mentally well.
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Notes to editors
All the pubs mentioned above have been nominated for the Matthew Clark Community Pub Hero Awards, organised by PubAid with support from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. The competition, which was previously the Charity Pub of the Year, seeks to recognise licensees and teams who went the extra mile to help their communities through the pandemic. Pubs can enter before 11 December by completing a brief form on the PubAid website
PubAid is a working party created in 2009 to promote UK pubs as a force for good in their local communities, sharing the message that they raise over £100m per year for charities and contribute £40 million to grassroots sport. PubAid runs the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz, which has raised £750,000 since its launch in 2016, and the Charity Pub of the Year Awards, which ran in 2018 and 2019.
The PubAid steering group is led by co-founder Des O’Flanagan, and includes a number of well-known figures from the pub world, who lend their time and other resources to help spread the positive messages about pubs’ role at the heart of their communities.
