PubAid, the organisation promoting the positive impact of UK pubs, has launched the Positive PUBlicity Hub, a new platform aimed at celebrating the vital role pubs play in their communities. Timed to coincide with World Mental Health Day today, the hub aims to highlight the often-overlooked support pubs provide, from funding grassroots sports to supporting community well-being.
The platform offers a closer look at how pubs act as lifelines to local areas and is aiming to be a resource that every publican in Scotland can use, as well as being a place for MPs and MSPs to go to, allowing MPs to find positive pub activations in their constituencies which PubAid hopes can bridge the gap between pubs and Government.
It follows recent research from the Samaritans which shows that pubs rank second among the top places where people feel comfortable discussing personal matters, while World Mental Health Day this year focuses on the broader role pubs play, not just as social venues but as safe spaces for conversation and connection, providing critical mental health support that few other establishments can offer.
The Positive PUBlicity Hub features real-life stories of how pubs contribute to their communities, offering publicans practical ideas and inspiration. Examples range from organising charity events and food drives to sponsoring local sports teams and hosting support groups. The aim is to help publicans explore or expand their community involvement by showing how other pubs are making a difference.
Carole Davis, landlady of The Clifton Arms in Blackburn and winner of the PubAid Community Support Hero Award 2024, shared her experience saying, “Working in partnership with our pub community, we help hundreds of people who just want to come down for a chat. Many deal with mental health issues and know they can talk to someone here. Some are too proud to access central services, so if we can’t help them directly, we’ll point them to someone who can.”
Carole is one of 1,000 publicans nominated for the Community Pub Hero Awards 2024, run in partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group.
Des O’Flanagan, Co-Founder of PubAid, said, “Pubs are the backbone of our communities, yet their impact is too often overlooked. Our goal with the hub is to create the UK’s largest portal for positivity about pubs- serving as an inspiration across the UK and beyond. We want to remind everyone that pubs aren’t just places to go for a drink; they are vital lifelines to the communities they serve.”
To find out more visit the Positive PUBlicity Hub here for more examples, gain insights and if you’re a pub, to upload your own stories of support. For those interested in joining the PubAid supporter community, you’ll join over 50 other pub companies, organisations and trade associations in keeping the positive voice for pubs alive.
Picture: Carole Davis, landlady of The Clifton Arms.