Final call from Craig Hoy MSP to find Scotland’s Best Community Pub

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Craig Hoy MSP, is calling for pubs throughout Scotland to celebrate the great work they have done for their local communities over the last 12 months by entering the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards before Friday 24 January.

Time is running out to find Scotland’s best Community Pub as part of the Community Pub Hero Awards.

The 2024 awards had three fantastic winners for Scotland including The Dreadnought, Leith, which won the Community Regular Hero, and now Craig would like more to follow in their footsteps. The Bank Bar, Dundee, won Community Fundraising Hero and Greenhills, Glasgow, won Community Support Hero at the event at the Houses of Parliament earlier this year.

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Craig Hoy MSP, who convenes the Cross-Party Group on Beer and Pubs said: “Pubs are such an important support to their local communities and this needs to be celebrated throughout Scotland. We recently launched a report into what ‘Brand Scotland’ means for the Scottish beer and pub sector at the Scottish Parliament and the pub is firmly on the map as a support for its community. It was fantastic to meet one of last year’s winners, Roisin Therese from The Dreadnought, at this launch. I am calling out for all MSPs to nominate at least one pub in their constituency for these important awards.”

Roisin Therese from the Dreadnought in Leith accepting her award in 2024Roisin Therese from the Dreadnought in Leith accepting her award in 2024
Roisin Therese from the Dreadnought in Leith accepting her award in 2024

The 2025 awards are organised by PubAid – the positive voice for UK pubs - in association with Matthew Clark, the national drinks wholesaler and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group. Pubs can enter themselves and MPs also nominate pubs in their constituencies.

Co-founder of PubAid, Des O’Flanagan said: “We’re here to celebrate what Publicans do to support their local areas and charities in whatever way they can. It’s not about the amount of money that people raise or running the most sports teams, it’s about the creative ways that landlords support and the impact that this has within the community.”

Pubs and pub companies across the UK are encouraged to enter one of five categories. The following three categories also have a regional winner from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Community Support Hero which celebrates a pub that truly supports its local area; Community Fundraising Hero for the pub that raises money for charity; Community Regular Hero for an individual who goes above and beyond.

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The Bank Bar, Dundee, won in 2024 because it raised an impressive £100,000 for the volunteers at Tayside Mountain Rescue by collecting cans and hosting annual events such as a Christmas Hamper Raffle and a “Bandathon” - which was a full day of live music.

Greenhills, East Kilbride, stood out because in April 2023, Aiden Fitzpatrick, a member of the pub’s bar staff, was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL), a rare cancer that affects only around 160 people in the UK annually. The pub raised over £4,000 by hosting a charity football match. Aiden has since set up the “Mental Health to Mental Wealth” group, held in the pub, offering free support to others in the community.

Roisin from The Dreadnought in Leith won the 2024 award as she led the Save the Pride Bridge campaign to help protect the local landmark from being demolished. It was an important pedestrian and cycle route which connected a busy residential area to the main road, shops, public transport and schools. However, it was so much more than just being a practical way to get from A to B.

Rob Sandall, Director of Regional Sales (England & Wales) at Matthew Clark said: “This is our sixth year sponsoring the Community Pub Hero Awards. We love to celebrate the great work done by individual pubs and their teams at a grassroots level to help local charities, environmental initiatives, sports teams and more. It’s an honour for us to meet so many wonderful and hardworking Publicans from across all four corners of the UK.”

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