New research from Pub is the Hub has put a figure on how much social value pubs and publicans bring to their local communities.
Services such as a village store can help to bring people together and add social value to the local area
The not-for-profit organisation has established that for every pound spent investing in the provision of services and activities in the pub, an average of £8.28 of social value is created.
The document — Pub is the Hub: Social Value — confirms that pubs offer social value that supports community cohesion, job security, wellbeing, increased social interaction, and resilient communities.
The report also reveals that pubs help people to overcome social isolation and replace the loss of services in rural and deprived areas.
Backed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the report measures the social value delivered by publicans and their pubs, through Pub is The Hub support, to help provide a range of vital services and activities in their local areas.
Calculating social value is an academic process that measures the added value an initiative brings to society and refers to the wider positive impact an activity, project, or organisation has beyond just financial or economic returns.
The evaluation, which focuses on Pub is The Hub projects implemented between 2022 and 2024, analysed the impact of adding new services and activities. It examined how the introduction of amenities such as village stores, community cafés, and allotments, as well as events such as theatre and arts performances, help to reduce social isolation and address community needs. The evaluation also highlighted the crucial role of the publican in these efforts.
It concluded that diversified pub-based initiatives will have lasting effects on the overall improved local wellbeing for individuals and their families, as well as in reducing loneliness, improving mental health, and giving people greater independence.
The evaluation also found that the social value created by pubs meets several of the UN’s sustainable development goals. It aligned the Pub is The Hub projects with a broader impact, including tackling issues such as poverty, inequality, good health, and local wellbeing.
“There needs to be wider recognition of the important role that individual publicans and … their pubs have in rural communities and deprived areas as social hubs,” said Pub is The Hub chief executive, John Longden OBE.
“Pubs contribute to the general wellbeing of locals and help drive social cohesion and community resilience in local areas.”
The research was independently conducted by Gemma Finnegan, development and evaluation manager at Cornwall Rural Community Charity. “The report shows that Pub is The Hub’s success lies in its ability to leverage strategic relationships and its deep knowledge of both the industry and local communities to quickly drive meaningful social change,” she said.
The Halfway, in Tal-y-Coed, Wales, opened a village store and an event space in a marquee, with support from Pub is The Hub. Publican Rhiannon Metters said: “We are situated in an isolated rural community with the pub being the hub of the area. It is so important that we support local people ensuring they are not feeling isolated and alone.
“With the nearest supermarket being 20 minutes away, the village store here in this isolated rural area is such a support to people in the local community. The marquee has become a space where we run local courses such as CPR and craft workshops to help bring people together.”
