PubAid pledges to take charity message to consumers

PubAid plans to step up its campaign to highlight the charitable work done by the pub trade by focussing on consumers.

The organisation said that with new support from its trade partners and the success of its message that pubs raise £100m for charity every year, it was now entering ‘phase two’ of its mission.

PubAid, the organisation dedicated to highlighting the great work pubs in the UK do for charity, has announced that it has received new support from its trade partners and revealed details of a new campaign.

Co-founder of PubAid, Keith Knowles, said news sponsors had come on board, allowing the group to embark on new initiatives.

He said: “Stage one of our journey was to get that fact known throughout our own industry and arm commentators with the facts, something that can be particularly helpful when the trade is all to often only getting column inches for binge drinking etc.

“Stage two on our plan is now to take this message beyond the ranks of the industry and engage with consumers. We’ve had some success in this area already but know that to effectively shift perceptions, we need to work alongside other organisations and keep producing data that supports the great work that pubs do for charity.”

Knowles said PubAid was in talks with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) about repeating the Fundraiser of the Year award at next year’s annual luncheon. 

Support

Mike Fisher, head of retail marketing at Matthew Clark, one of PubAid’s sponsors, said: “We're enthusiastic supporters of PubAid, not least because their work extends beyond the trade, and actually educates consumers about the great work that pubs do through their fundraising.

"Publicans and their staff put in so much effort to raise money and we know the general public are amazed when they hear that the trade raises over £100m a year for charity. We just need more of them to know about it and realise that pubs make a fantastic contribution to society.”

Stuart Mclean, CEO of Zonal Retail Data Systems, which also supports the campaign, said: "We're delighted to support PubAid. The work the team does is hugely valuable in making sure the licensed trade is seen in a balanced light."

Other PubAid supporters include C&C Group, Everards, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, Enterprise Inns, Young & Co, Fullers and Punch Taverns.