Read: Raising the bar on community engagement

Picture a traditional British pub and an image of a cosy room with a well-stocked bar and perhaps a fire comes to mind, or bucolic gardens to enjoy long summer afternoons. Busy city pubs closely associated with whatever industry surrounds it, or relaxed country pubs which serve as landmarks for travellers in sparsely populated areas.

Picture any of those pubs and they will be at the heart of the community they serve. They offer food and drink, a place to stay, companionship and employment. They are host to community initiatives, social groups and teams of darts players, quiz masters and shuffle boarders. Their enforced closure during the pandemic only served to highlight their unique position in British life, fostered over centuries. The hospitality industry faced tough times as a result, and the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to present significant challenges to many businesses.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that the tradition of a British pub remains deeply embedded in the fabric of British life. There are currently 39,000 pubs across the UK, supporting 936,000 jobs and generating £26.2bn of Gross Value Added (GVA), highlighting how vital they are to the national economy as well as to local economies across the country.

Britain’s leading pub company and brewer, Greene King, is determined to maintain the positive impact that pubs have in their communities. A survey commissioned by the company earlier this year found that they are still regarded as the economic and social bedrock of UK communities, with 82% saying that they are important for local communities and 64% believing that they support their local economy. 58% live less than a mile from a pub which means they remain accessible to many in Britain today. A third of Britons have worked at a pub at some point in their lives, with nearly half of those currently employed in the sector aged under 25.

A purpose-led approach is helping Greene King to focus its efforts on delivering social impact where it is needed most, for its customers, its teams, its pub partners, its suppliers and its communities. Under an umbrella ESG campaign of Greene King for Good, it weaves social purpose through everything it does. That extends to being a good neighbour in the communities it serves, creating opportunities for everyone through innovative social mobility initiatives and doing good for the environment by operating in a sustainable way.

The business is a key player in the hospitality sector. With almost 39,000 team members across 1600 managed pubs and about 1000 tenanted pubs in England, Scotland and Wales, many of its team members can build careers where they live, with no need to move away from family and friends to find work. Its Untapping Potential report set out a range of commitments to apprenticeship programmes, a partnership with the Prince’s Trust to provide jobs for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds including targets for those from ethnic minorities, its Releasing Potential initiative for ex-offenders and those experiencing homelessness and supported internships for people with learning disabilities. It is driving skills and long-term, structured long-term careers for people, wherever they live and whatever their background, often in places where there has traditionally been very limited opportunity.

Greene King offers additional support in two further ways, to people in the community who may feel left behind. It has partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support for the last 12 years as the charity’s number one employee-led fundraising corporate partner. This year alone it has raised £1m for Macmillan Cancer Support’s Emergency Grants Appeal to help people living with cancer manage unexpected or additional costs related to their diagnosis during the cost-of-living crisis. Reflecting the companionship culture of a local pub, its No One Alone programme aims to combat the loneliness that can still be so prevalent in our digital world, as well as removing the stigma of talking about it.

Working with the Purpose Coalition on a Force for Good Impact Report to assess what it is doing to improve access to opportunity, Greene King is also exploring new ways to deliver social good to its communities and target its work even more effectively. It is also part of the Coalition’s cross-party efforts to help shape the levelling up agenda on issues like the Apprenticeship Levy, to ensure that it works better for businesses and helps the sector thrive. With its wide geographic reach – from city to town to village – it has the potential to make a significant difference across the country. 

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair - Purpose Coalition