Edinburgh licensees who’ve seen the difference their pubs can make in alleviating loneliness supported the Star Pubs initiative to raise £50k for leading loneliness charity, Marmalade Trust. It follows research that showed that 50% of adults feel lonely at least once a week while almost 9 out of 10 (88%) agreed that social hubs and third spaces, such as pubs, are important to prevent loneliness and create social connections.
With over 70 colleagues from Heineken UK and Star Pubs – which has 230 pubs across Scotland – taking part in two fundraising hikes around Edinburgh, pubs along the route joined in by providing hospitality, including a quiz and a silent disco, to demonstrate the role that good locals play in building social connections.
Money raised from the walks will fund loneliness awareness training in pubs around Scotland as well as wider campaigns to increase recognition of loneliness and signpost people to support.
Matt Dyson, operations director for Star Pubs in Scotland said, “Most of us experience loneliness at some stage in our lives; it’s not exclusive to one age group. Our research shows the scale of the issue and how the current uncertain times are exacerbating it. It’s something we need to talk about and address. As hubs of the areas they serve, pubs are ideally placed to help. According to our survey, the main reason three quarters of pubgoers visit their local is to connect with other people, whilst for more than a third it’s to engage with their community. Working with Marmalade Trust we hope to play our part in building a more connected society.”
The Woodhall Arms in Currie and The Murrayfield Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh were two of the pubs that backed the fundraising walks by providing refreshments for the participants.
Having taken over The Murrayfield in January, Ryan Myles said, “I’ve worked in hospitality all my life and have seen first hand the role pubs play in alleviating and preventing loneliness. Providing a warm, friendly atmosphere where everyone is welcome and people feel comfortable coming on their own to make new friends is what a good local is all about. Loneliness can affect people at all stages of their lives from students who’ve moved to a new place to those working from home and retirees. It’s fantastic to be able to support a campaign that is raising awareness of loneliness and doing something about it.”
At The Woodhall Arms, which mother and daughter team Bev Craig and Alana Crooks took the reins of when it reopened in December 2021 after a six-year closure, Alana said, “We were packed out when we reopened with local residents who’d really missed their gathering place. It’s the last traditional local in the village, and everyone is welcome and talks to each other. We get three generations of some families coming in. I see people of all ages come on their own to start with and then gradually get to know other customers and forge new friendships. Many of our older regulars live alone and The Woodhall Arms is a central part of their routine; they come in every day to watch the sport and chat with their pals. Without it, they’d be sitting at home on their own. Two other pubs in the area closed recently. It’s been a terrible loss for their communities and their former regulars now travel to The Woodhall Arms for company.”
Amy Perrin, Founder of Marmalade Trust, Marmalade Trust added, “At Marmalade Trust we know just how prevalent loneliness is and we also know how important the role pubs play is in fostering connections. With Star Pubs’ support, we hope to be able to raise even more awareness of loneliness across all demographics in society, and most importantly to provide people with the resources that they need to feel and get more connected.”
