The Campaign for Pubs launches to boost landlords, trades and customers

A new national grassroots campaign for pubs has been launched with a clear mission statement to promote, support and protect pubs as well as being a real voice for inns and all who love and value them.

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The Campaign for Pubs - on Twitter @campaignforpubs - has been established by a group of prominent licensees, leading pub campaigners, small brewers and pub lovers including academics, musicians and actors.

The Campaign for Pubs is a mass membership group open to all who love and care about pubs and, unlike any other sector organisation, it unites publicans, pub campaigners, customers and suppliers, including some of the UK’s leading smaller brewers.

The Campaign for Pubs exists to provide a #realvoiceforpubs and to campaign for a better, freer and fairer, more sustainable pub sector.

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The Campaign wishes to see more pubs in the hands of those who genuinely care about them, thus seeing them better placed to serve the needs of local communities and with better protection against cynical closure and predatory property development.

Members will become part of a national network of those who care about pubs and their future, and their subscription will fund campaigning work on key issues.

The Campaign for Pubs has been formed partly in response to the need for a powerful voice for thousands of pubs facing threat due to the enforced closures resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

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This has led to many licensees and campaigners coming together to provide a strong voice for pubs and publicans to demand change in the sector, which has seen many long-standing problems exposed and exacerbated by the crisi

As well as publicans and pub campaigners, the Campaign for Pubs is also being supported by the UK’s small brewers, keen to see a more open, thriving, sustainable pub sector offering them far more direct access to pubs and to publicans.

Leading brewery and outspoken sector campaigner Phil Saltonstall of Brass Castle is the Campaign for Pubs Brewer coordinator.

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Leading licensing lawyer David Dadds and Professor Darren Lilleker of Bournemouth University have also joined the NEC as has renowned actor and musician Paul Courtney Hyu as Pub Music and Culture Champion.

The Campaign for Pubs will be chaired by leading licensee campaigner Paul Crossman with well-known pub campaigner former MP and British Pub Confederation Greg Mulholland as campaign director and award-winning licensee Dawn Hopkins vice-chair.

Paul, licensee of The Swan, The Slip Inn and Volunteer Arms in York, said: “There is an urgent need for a dynamic new campaign group providing a real voice for pubs and those who love and support them and we will begin by calling for urgent action to support and save pubs facing hugelosses due to the COVID-19 crisis.

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“The Campaign for Pubs will campaign vigorously, along with the British Pub Confederation, for more support for pubs now.

“We will then campaign for the key changes that are needed to deliver a more independent and sustainable future for pubs, one which will allow them to truly thrive as cornerstones of their communities as all pubs should.

“ For less than the price of a pint a month, you can help stand up for pubs and publicans, so please join us today and fight for pubs.”

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