Award for best community pub currently held in Lancashire is back open for votes

The Bellflower, a Marston’s pub, won the Community Support Hero award due to its work supporting the community. The pub is now a vital hub that offers help to local causes including: free Christmas dinner for those who would otherwise be alone; providing sanitary products to those facing period poverty; sourcing school uniforms for struggling families and a free meal for forces and veterans on Remembrance Sunday. They have also trained all staff to provide a welcoming space for people living with dementia.

Any other pubs in Lancashire who have community and charitable activities are now being encouraged to enter themselves into the The Matthew Clark Community Pub Hero Awards, organised by PubAid in association with the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

The awards aim to celebrate pubs and their regulars who go the extra mile to support their local charities and communities in a variety of ways.

Pubs could raise money for charity, have a regular customer who goes above and beyond for the local community, support grassroots sport in their area or go above and beyond in terms of helping to protect the environment locally.

There are five categories in total and pubs have even more chances to win as highly commended winners could be chosen as well as the overall winner.

MPs in Lancashire will also be encouraged to put forward pubs in their constituencies by the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group. The winners will be announced at a special event at the Houses of Parliament on 5th March and all those shortlisted are invited to attend.

Co-founder of PubAid, Des O’Flanagan said: “The Community Pub Hero Awards are now in their fifth year and this year will be the biggest yet. So many pubs do great work in their local communities and PubAid is here to celebrate the good they do across the industry and raise awareness of all the positives pubs bring to a community.

“In the current cost of living crisis when communities can feel more disparate, pubs play an essential role in bringing people together and creating communities. They do such fantastic work raising money for charities big and small and supporting grassroots sport that we want to say thanks to them from the industry with the Community Pub Hero Awards.”

Entries are now open and close on 19th January, Entries are free and can be completed online at https://www.pubaid.co.uk/what-we-do/community-pub-hero-awards/

Gabrielle Huston, brand communications manager at Matthew Clark, which is sponsoring the 2024 awards, said: “Pubs and their regulars are the heroes in many communities throughout the UK and this is an important awards in terms of acknowledging them and raising awareness of the great work they do. This is the fifth year we have supported the awards as we understand what a valuable way it is to say thanks to those who put so much hard work into bringing communities together.”

Alun Cairns MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: “Every year a large number of MPs nominate pubs and their landlords within their constituencies for the great work they do. Whether this is fundraising for charity or helping to support people locally by bringing them together for events, sporting activities or occasions and also creating sustainable initiatives. We’re looking forward to receiving the entries and hearing about what’s going on within our fantastic pubs.”