Pub is the Hub hosts workshop in the Vale of Glamorgan

Pub is The Hub appeals to rural pubs


Pub is The Hub, the independent not-for-profit advisory service for rural pubs is appealing to Vale of Glamorgan landlords in rural areas to attend a pub diversification workshop they are running next Wednesday on 18th July at the Three Golden Cups, Southerndown near Bridgend. At the same time they are offering the pubs the opportunity to apply for improvement funding of up to £40,000 in support.

Working in partnership with Creative Rural Communities, the Vale of Glamorgan’s Rural Regeneration initiative, Pub is The Hub wants to encourage rural pub operators to diversify and offer new services for the benefit of their community. Projects could include initiatives such as post offices, shops, libraries, internet services, cash machines, allotments, cinemas and community play areas.
Part of a national co-operation project for Wales the initiative is funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which, in turn, is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Pub is The Hub and Creative Rural Communities will support the administration, funding applications and national advisory service provided for each pub project.

Initiated through Pub is The Hub across eight counties in Wales with support provided by The Prince's Countryside Fund, the project aims to engage with over 90 pubs, with financial support for around 60 that choose to diversify into new services for their communities across eight rural counties; Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire. The funding is available until the end of 2013 and Pub is The Hub and Cadwyn Clwyd will be working with the Local Action Groups (LAGs) in each area to draw down the capital project funding for schemes approved in their areas.

Speaking at a launch event earlier this year in Betws y Coed in North Wales Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes announced a £1.3m package of support for local services in rural pubs in Wales through a joint co-operation initiative between Pub is The Hub and Cadwyn Clwyd (the Regional Development Agency for Denbighshire and Flintshire). He said: “I know how successful the Pub is The Hub initiative has been in bringing many important social, economic and environmental benefits to rural communities.
“Pubs, like many small rural businesses can struggle to trade profitably through providing only the pub functions. The training, advice and guidance being offered to pubs and communities through this project will, I am sure, inspire actions to create new income streams to help sustain pubs for the future. These pubs in turn will benefit their local communities by providing essential basic services.”

John Longden, Chief Executive of Pub is The Hub commented: “The closure of a business in a rural community adversely impacts on the viability of many other businesses leading to a domino-like effect on the collapse of further local services and amenities. Often a rural pub is now the only socially significant business still running in many rural communities. Pub is The Hub is not directly about saving pubs but about supporting them and encouraging them to diversify and support local services in this rapidly changing world.”

Anyone interested in undertaking such a scheme should get in touch with the Mari-Wyn Elias-Jones, Senior Rural Regeneration Officer for the Vale of Glamorgan by calling 01446 704637 or emailing enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk

Boost for Welsh Pubs

Above: Malcolm Harrison, Director of Pub is The Hub, Alun Davies AM and John Longden, Chief Executive for Pub is The Hub

Pub is The Hub Announces £1.3m Local Services Initiative for Welsh Pubs

Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes announced yesterday a £1.3m package of support for local services in rural pubs in Wales through a joint co-operation initiative between Pub is The Hub and Cadwyn Clwyd (the Regional Development Agency for Denbighshire and Flintshire).

The co-operation project for Wales will be managed by Cadwyn Clywd on behalf of the Welsh Assembly and is funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which, in turn, is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Pub is The Hub will support the administration, funding applications and national advisory service provided for each pub project.

Initiated through Pub is The Hub with support provided by The Prince's Countryside Fund, the project aims to engage with over 90 pubs, with financial support for around 60 that choose to diversify into new services for their communities across eight rural counties; Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire. The funding is available until the end of 2013 and Pub is The Hub and Cadwyn Clwyd will be working with the Local Action Groups (LAGs) in each area to draw down the capital project funding for schemes approved in their areas.

The deputy minister was speaking at a launch event at The Royal Oak in Betws y Coed in North Wales on 22nd March 2012 hosted by Pub is The Hub and Cadwyn Clwyd, attended by licensees, local authorities and pub companies. He said: “I know how successful the Pub is The Hub initiative has been in bringing many important social, economic and environmental benefits to rural communities.

“Pubs, like many small rural businesses can struggle to trade profitably through providing only the pub functions. The training, advice and guidance being offered to pubs and communities through this project will, I am sure, inspire actions to create new income streams to help sustain pubs for the future. These pubs in turn will benefit their local communities by providing essential basic services.”

John Longden, Chief Executive of Pub is The Hub commented: “Whilst the levels of funding for each pub will depend on the type of project and community need, this is the first time that government has worked on a national scale to support an initiative of this kind. We are immensely grateful to The Prince’s Countryside Fund which has allowed us to operate in Wales and to initiate the project on a national scale.”

He went on to say: “The closure of a business in a rural community adversely impacts on the viability of many other businesses leading to a domino-like effect on the collapse of further local services and amenities. Often a rural pub is now the only socially significant business still running in many rural communities. Pub is The Hub is not directly about saving pubs but about supporting them and encouraging them to diversify and support local services in this rapidly changing world.”

Also speaking at the launch was Martin Boardman from the Salisbury Arms in Tremeirchion in Clwyd who has set up a community playground for the village; Colin Garner from the Golden Lion in Llangynhafal in Denbighshire who runs a monthly cinema club; and Steve Marquis from The Blue Bell in Halkyn in Flintshire who is in the process of re-opening the village post office in his pub. Steve Marquis also pointed out that once a village loses its last remaining service, which can often be the pub, it can lose its status as a village and even as a hamlet which then has implications for future planning applications in the area.

David Willis from the community-run pub called The Raven in Llanarmon, Denbighshire was also there to talk about how important it is to keep pubs and businesses open in rural areas. At The Raven they have also diversified to offer a peripatetic post office service each Thursday, OAP lunches, accommodation, films and even Welsh lessons every week.
Pub is The Hub will be running a series of workshops for pub owners and licensees over the next twelve months in each county and are asking that anyone interested in undertaking such a scheme should get in touch with Pub is The Hub by calling 01 423 546165 or emailing enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk.

Pub is the Hub to help Welsh Pubs

A charity set up be Prince Charles is set to help up to 50 Welsh rural pubs. Pub is the Hub is looking to set up a Welsh office, possibly in an existing brewery (Brains? Felinfoel?) and support from the Prince will fund two employees in Wales for two years allowing the organisation to identify 50 pubs to be regenerated.

The Prince will announce details of the grants to be awarded under his new Countryside Fund on Thursday.

John Longden from Pub is the Hub said, “It's great news for Wales,” he said. “We will use our expertise to lobby government and local authorities for grants to be made available. We will have two part-time project managers that will build up a shopping list of projects and once a “priority list” of 50 pubs was compiled, Pub is the Hub would turn to the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities to fund the projects". He estimated each pub would require around £10,000 to regenerate it.

“This is a positive step forward in seeing if rural pubs in Wales can support community services in a really strong way,”he continued, “It's great to get continued support form the Prince often our funding is patchy.”
Pub is the Hub has undertaken three projects so far in Wales, all of which have been in the Denbighshire area in conjunction with the local authorities.

Elsewhere, in Scouseland, PM David Cameron has launched his 'Big Society' plans which includes giving local communities the chance to save their threatened pub. No more details at the moment and it looks like this will only be trialled in England.