Pub companies who get behind the Pub is the Hub initiative have been told they will boost their businesses.
Delegates at the first Pub is the Hub Conference, held at Ripley Castle in Harrogate, heard both Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns describe how the initiative had benefited both themselves and their licensees.
But both companies warned licensees were facing a raft of red tape before they can get regional funding for Pub is the Hub-backed initiatives, which can include anything from introducing a post office to a food shop in pub premises.
Francis Patton, customer relations director at Punch Taverns, said that 96 per cent of its pubs were in suburbs, market towns or villages. He said that as a company Punch had to find ways of making these pubs sustainable and help provide additional income streams for licensees.
Working with Pub is the Hub meant that both the pub company and licensee could improve a pub's asset value, he added.
"But there is a myriad of red tape to get the grants - how do we cut through it? If we do everybody wins, we get a better business and the community benefits," he said.
"Pub is the Hub is about trying to broaden horizons for our retailers. We have to find ways of making those pubs sustainable."
Russell Burton, head of property at Enterprise Inns, said his company had 1,800 pubs in rural communities, equating to 21 per cent of its estate. He said: "We view the pub, wherever it operates, it as the heart of the community. Licensees are busy people and do not have time to deal with red tape."
Mr Burton said Pub is the Hub had helped the company change its approach to country pubs. With the changes in demographics, with more people moving to rural areas, pubs had a real opportunity to capitalise, he added.
Pub is the Hub was set up by the Prince of Wales' Business in the Community programme in 2001 to bring brewers, pubcos and licensees together to help retain rural pubs.