Royal invitation for a Pubmaster pub
A Pubmaster tenant has been practising her curtsey recently after accepting a Royal invitation. Jeanette Feneron, Landlady of The Crown Inn, Banningham, will be attending a reception at Highgrove on Tuesday 27 May with HRH Prince of Wales to mark the second anniversary of 'The Pub is the Hub' campaign to which Jeanette has brought to life in her pub.
In October 2000, Jeanette diversified the use of the Pubmaster-owned pub into a Post Office when the original village Post Office closed. Customers could not only buy a pint when they popped into the pub, they could buy stamps, draw their pensions and pay bills. "The village lost a vital service when the Post Office closed so this was our way of helping to revitalise the community." Said Jeanette.
'The Pub is the Hub' campaign is part of the Business in the Communities Rural Action Programme which is aimed at encouraging people in business and the community to work together and focus on saving and breathing new life into declining rural communities and economies. "Many pubs have since taken action and really made sure that their 'Pub is the Hub'. I was delighted to receive the invitation and am very much looking forward to the day." Said Jeanette.
"We welcomed the sentiments from Prince Charles at the launch of the campaign." said Richard Gundry, Pubmaster Operations Director. "With approximately a third of Pubmaster's pubs in rural locations we agree that they should and do play a vital role in their communities. A pub can be the heart of village life as well as providing an essential service."
"The successful long-term future of many rural pubs will depend on developing additional uses for them, which benefit both the pub and the community which it serves. Pubmaster provides support and advice to its tenants and together we decide on additional services based on the needs of the individual business and its customers. The Crown is an excellent example of a pub taking practical action to cement itself at the heart of its local community."
