Research revealing the social value of pubs released

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 15 September, 2025

New research from Pub is The Hub has put a figure on how much social value pubs provide.

The report, called Pub is The Hub: Social Value, has revealed that for every £1 spent investing in the provision of services and activities in the pub, an average of £8.28 in social value is created.

Social value is calculated by measuring the added value an initiative brings to society, analysing the wider impact it has beyond simply financial or economic terms.

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Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services and activities. For example, The Halfway in Tal-y-Coed (pictured), Wales, opened a village store and an event space with support from the organisation.

Publican Rhiannon Metters said: "We are situated in an isolated rural community with the pub being the hub of the area. It is so important that we support local people ensuring they are not feeling isolated and alone. With the nearest supermarket being 20 mins away the village store here… is such a support to people in the local community.”

The National Lottery Community Fund-backed report affirms that pubs support cohesion, job security, well-being, social interaction and resilience in their communities.

It focused on projects that Pub is The Hub were involved in between 2022 and 2024, looking at how the introduction of village stores, community cafes, allotments and events such as theatre or arts performances can help to alleviate social isolation and address the needs of a community.

It highlighted how pubs can be crucial in providing these vital services, concluding that pub-based initiatives can have a lasting impact on local well-being for both individuals and families, reducing loneliness, improving people’s mental health and granting them greater independence.

Pub is The Hub chief executive John Longden OBE commented: “Publicans and their pubs have a vital social role in supporting local communities and helping people to overcome social isolation and alleviate feelings of loneliness. They are crucial in helping to bring people together, and helping with the provision of lost services and amenities. There needs to be wider recognition of the important role that individual publicans play and the vital role their pubs have in rural communities and deprived areas as social hubs.”

The full report can be found on the Pub is The Hub website here.

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