Pub is the Hub gets half a million pounds of lottery money

Pub is the Hub - the not-for-profit group that helps pubs diversify - is set to expand thanks to a grant of nearly half a million pounds from the Big Lottery Fund.

The group plans to use the £470,000 over three years to run a "community champion" training programme.

This will give licensees and locals the chance to become volunteers in their communities, to help develop new services for pubs - such as post offices and community centres.

Pub is the Hub, which applied for the grant two years ago, will also employ regional advisers to offer advice and support to licensees and help train volunteers.

John Longden, Pub is the Hub director, described the grant as "great news".

He added: "This will ensure we can continue our work creating thriving local communities with viable, vibrant pubs at their heart."

However Longden said the group remained in the dark over money promised by former pubs minister John Healey, as part of a package of measures to help the industry.

"The John Healey announcement has come to nothing," he said. "It's very frustrating as we would have been able to provide national coverage."

The previous government had promised Pub is the Hub £300,000 a year over the next three years.