Why Pubs Matter
Why Pubs Matter. #PubsMatter
Across the UK, pubs, taprooms, social clubs and hospitality venues are at the centre of their communities. Looking after their regulars, providing services to their communities, raising money for charity and tackling loneliness and social isolation.
It's About Community
The pub has long been a mainstay of British high streets and communities, however, in recent years the local has adapted to become much more than just that.
There are hundreds of examples of local pubs that have opened as a post office, or greengrocer, or library, and in doing so have transformed the lives of thousands of local residents at a time. Moreover, pubs raise over £100m for hundreds of charities and worthy causes and provide a further £40m in funding or in-kind support for grassroots sport.
All of this is at stake with so many pubs on the brink of failure as a result of months and months of enforced closure or unreasonably tight restrictions.
It's About Mental Health
For some people, the loss of a local pub isn’t just the loss of a local small business, it means the loss of their social network.
Loneliness is a scourge that blights many communities up and down the country but this too is something that pubs have helped to fix. Countless locals across the UK have started social clubs for isolated or traditionally hard to reach groups of people. The ongoing closure of pubs means that for these groups the pandemic has been especially hard to cope with.
It's About Local Economies
The social cohesion that pubs provide for society is absolutely vital, but so too is the economic contribution they make. Pubs and the brewers that supply them provide £23bn in value-added to the UK economy each year, supporting 900,000 jobs – over 40% of which are occupied by people under the age of 25.
This too is at risk if we don’t act now to start enabling publicans to get back to what they do best and begin trading again.
Pubs Matter Campaign 2020
From 13-16 December, social media and MPs’ inboxes are being flooded with messages about why Pubs Matter, as we head into a festive season that is very different to normal. There are three main steps we are asking people to take:
- Share why Pubs Matter to you on social media, using #PubsMatter and tagging @CAMRA_Official so we can retweet. You can write a message or make a short video. You can see other people’s messages and some key facts and figures here.
- Email your MP though our online tool at whypubsmatter.org.uk/email. Send them a personalised message about why pubs matter and ask them to speak up for pubs.
- Tweet the First Minister using whypubsmatter.org.uk/tweet
