Pub is The Hub was announced as the latest winner of the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award by Community Pubs Minister Brandon Lewis MP at last night’s Publican Awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “From a lunch club for older people in Grasby, to a cinema in Purleigh – this initiative is helping village pubs find innovative ways to maintain their place in the centre of so many communities.
“With the energy and passion of landlords and licensees up and down the country, Pub is The Hub is going from strength to strength and I’m delighted to recognise everyone involved with this Big Society Award.”
John Longden, Chief Executive of Pub is The Hub responded: “This award is fabulous recognition for all the hard-working licensees running pubs in their communities who work tirelessly in providing additional services where they have disappeared. At Pub is The Hub we have a great team of, largely voluntary, people who help to promote social action, encourage consultation and offer support and advice to widen the appeal of the pub. They too will be thrilled with this award.”
Community Pubs Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Pubs are at the heart of so many of the country’s villages and towns and I congratulate Pub is The Hub on their well-deserved Big Society award recognising their work in helping rural pubs get involved with their local community.
“Right across the country pubs provide not just hundreds of thousands of jobs but a valuable place for millions of people to get together.”
In the last 18 months Pub is The Hub has also created a Community Services Fund supported by Government and business to help more country pubs to get involved. The Department for Communities and Local Government recently announced an extra £20,000, in addition to existing £150,000 funding until 2015, to provide specialist advice to pubs and help diversify their services.
The Big Society Awards were set up by the Prime Minister in November 2010. The aim is to acknowledge individuals and organisations across the UK that demonstrates the Big Society in their work or activities. In so doing, the aim is also to galvanise others to follow.
The award focuses upon three specific areas:
1.Outstanding Contribution to Community
People, projects and organisations that enable communities to drive change themselves
Projects and organisations that allow the community to identify solutions People, projects and organisations that inspire others to contribute to their community
2. Improving Lives and Society through Innovation, Collaboration and New Partnerships
People and organisations taking new approaches to public services
Successful collaboration and partnerships between public, private and voluntary sector – working together to benefit communities
3. Engaging in Social Action
People, projects and organisations taking action in their community
Working together for social change (e.g. through creating groups, campaigns, movements)
Generosity of time, money, skills and other resources – in support of social action
When launching the awards, the Prime Minister said: “There are some amazing projects and remarkable voluntary work going on in towns and cities up and down the country, by all kinds of organisations from large enterprises to tiny grassroots schemes and inspirational individuals.
“These awards are a chance to pay tribute to those making a valuable contribution to their community, the real champions of the Big Society, but perhaps more importantly, I hope they will motivate many others to take action, get involved and drive change in their area.”
Nominations come in from the general public after which there follows a process of scoring and short-listing by civil servants and a further short-listing by a Panel of Ministers and independent external experts. This Panel makes recommendations to the Prime Minister who makes the final decisions about who to make the award to. Twelve winners are decided each quarter meeting and then announced once a week throughout the year.
Over 100 winners have been announced to date.