GBPA Community Hero winners receive charity donation prizes

16-Mar-2023 - Last updated on 16-Mar-2023 at 11:56 GMT

Winning site: the Lion at Treorchy took the title of Community Hero at last year's Great British Pub Awards

Last year’s Great British Pub Awards Community Hero finalists have donated their prize money, from sponsor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) to good causes.

CCEP donated £10,000 to the winner – the Lion in Treorchy, Rhondda – as well as a further £1,000 to each finalist – the Dog & Parrot, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire; the Last Post Memorial Bar, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees; Tom Browns, Dorchester, Dorset; the Pityme Inn, Wadebridge, Cornwall; and the Coal & Cotton, Manchester.

The Lion donated its £10,000 to Love Treorchy. The money funded a loyalty scheme for local independent shops, the town’s annual Christmas parade, five Santa’s grottos, late-night shopping evenings and more to help make the festive season the most memorable for the area.

The new loyalty scheme meant everyone who spent £10 in an independent shop received a stamp with five stamps equating to a £10 voucher to spend on the high street.

Finalist the Coal & Cotton donated its £1,000 prize to local charity St Anne’s Hospice, which relies entirely on charitable donations.

Nottinghamshire-based pub the Dog & Parrot split the £1,000 in two to give it to causes close to its heart. Durban House Community Hub and the Dog & Parrot Community Fund.

Good causes

The former is currently being renovated to become a place where local community members can meet and run activities while the latter has been set up for the pub to help its community raise money for initiatives or importance causes.

The Last Post Memorial Bar donated £1,000 to The Don War Memorial Museum and Veterans Hub.

This was the second consecutive year the pub had been recognised for the support and educational services it provides for local people including through The Don War Memorial Museum and Veterans Hub.

The team regularly hosts and organises activities for the local community including karaoke competitions, dementia clubs, memorial services and more.

Dorchester Food Bank was the recipient of Tom Browns’ charity prize money. The charity was set up more than 12 years ago to help those in the community who are struggling financially and unable to feed themselves or their family.

Food donations from churches, schools, businesses and the public currently fund the food bank, which has seen a surge in demand in recent months amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Cornwall-based pub the Pityme Inn gave its £1,000 to local charity The Wave Project, which offers life-changing surf therapy with the help of its 6,000 volunteers and encourages children with learning difficulties and special needs to get into the sport.

Fantastic examples

CCEP senior community partnerships manager Holly Firmin said: “The past few years have laid bare the importance of community.

“Pubs have provided a lifeline for so many people – despite many landlords facing challenges themselves.

“Both our winner and runners up are fantastic examples of how pubs are supporting their local communities. I look forward to hearing about all of the brilliant initiatives they work on in the future.”