PubAid is extending the deadline for its Community Pub Hero Awards, to 21 November.
The scheme, which is sponsored by Matthew Clark and supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, aims to recognise and reward pubs for their community support and charity fundraising. Please help us spread awareness among pubs who could enter.

24 October 2022

Deadline extended for Community Pub Hero Awards

PubAid gives pubs another four weeks to enter competition

PubAid has extended the deadline for its Community Pub Hero Awards to 21^stNovember, giving another four weeks for pubs to enter, and for MPs to nominate pubs in their constituencies.

The annual competition is sponsored by Matthew Clark and supported by theAll-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. Entry is free, via a short form on theon the PubAid website. MP members of the Beer Group are nominating pubs in their constituency for an Award, and several have asked their constituents to suggest worthy pubs to put forward.

PubAid has refreshed the competition, now in its fourth year, to recognise more pubs. Pubs may enter either a Community Support or Charity Fundraising category and for the first time, they can also nominate one of their regulars for a Community Regular Hero Award.

After the closing date, judges will review entries received and publish shortlists for each category. All finalists will be invited, with their MP, to attend a reception in London in early 2023, where the overall winners will be announced. 

Co-founder of PubAid, Des O'Flanagan said: "We're pleased with response to our Awards so far, but it's been an eventful month and licensees are busy. Extending the deadline will encourage more worthy pubs to come forward and gain the recognition they and their teams deserve.

"We would encourage licensees to look at the new Community Regular Hero award as well; we know that pub fundraising and community support are often driven by an enthusiastic individual or group of stalwarts and this is a chance to recognise that."

John Steele, Trade Marketing Director, Matthew Clark added: "We're delighted to continue our support for the Community Pub Hero Awards. Last year we received many deserving entries from pubs who worked selflessly to help local residents through the Covid lockdown, despite facing uncertainty themselves. Pubs truly are heroes in their communities and we look forward to rewarding more of them this year."

Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: "These awards are a great opportunity for MPs to celebrate how landlords in their constituencies provide vital support, either through fundraising for charities or other help for those in need locally. Last year, MPs nominated 60 pubs and we're hoping to finish with a similar number this time."

The categories

Community Support Hero: recognising licensees who help their communities. Many pubs offered vital support during lockdown: delivering supplies or cooking hot meals for vulnerable residents, or keeping people connected through online quizzes or chats. If your pub has continued to be a ‘good neighbour' to your local community, then this award is for you!

Charity Fundraising Hero:recognising pubs who support charities and other good causes through fundraising. This can be through a collection tin on the bar, charity events ranging from quizzes or auctions through to fun days, or sponsored challenges by the licensee, team members or pub customers.

Community Regular Hero:  recognising an individual or group of customers who help the pub's fundraising efforts or its work to support the community. They often take on thankless tasks for little reward, so if you have a loyal regular who has helped your pub to help others locally, then nominate them for this award.

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Issued on behalf of PubAid

For further information:  Ros Shiel atros@shielporter.com/ 07841 694137

NOTES TO EDITORS

Community Pub Hero Awards:PubAid launched its Charity Fundraiser Pub Awards in 2018, with sponsorship from C&C and support from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. The awards ran again in 2019, sponsored by Matthew Clark, and in 2020, with pubs closed for months due to Covid, they were reshaped and renamed as the Community Pub Hero Awards. The competition, rewarding pubs' community support during lockdown, attracted 115 entries, including 60 from MPs who nominated pubs in their constituencies. Two overall winners, The Horse & Jockey in Melling, Merseyside and the Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke, were announced in spring 2021. 

PubAidis a working party created in 2009 to promote UK pubs as a force for good in their communities, sharing the message that they raise over £100m per year for charities and contribute £40 million to grassroots sport. PubAid runs the annual World's Biggest Pub Quiz, which has raised £750,000 since its launch in 2016, the Community Pub Hero Awards and, launched in early 2022, the Grassroots Sports Champions, in association with Sky, to recognise pubs' support for local sports.

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.

Matthew Clarkis a leading national drinks wholesaler with over 200 years' experience supplying drink products, hospitality training, labour management and marketing support to over 16,000 On-Trade premises in the UK.

The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Groupwas set up in 1993 and has a membership of over 350 MPs and Peers. The Beer Group's objectives are to broaden recognition of the enormous contribution of brewing and pubs to the UK economy from grain to glass - and to celebrate the unique role that beer and pubs play in our society