Camra to rescue of community pubs

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is planning a week of action next February to save Britain's community pubs.

The aim of Camra's first Community Pubs Week is to raise the profile of community pubs and encourage people from all walks of life to support their local.

The move is a response to Camra evidence showing that 26 pubs are lost in Britain every month.

Licensees will be encouraged to hold events celebrating their local communities during Community Pubs Week, which runs from 17 to 24 February.

The event replaces National Pubs Week, which ran for four years, because "community pubs are under particularly severe threat".

Camra chief executive Mike Benner said: "Community pubs, particularly those in more remote rural areas, are often the hub of the lives of the local people.

"However, increasing numbers of these pubs are being lost permanently.

"The smoking ban in place or coming into force shortly in different parts of the UK means that pubs will face a difficult time in 2007.

"People need to realise that their local is a valuable asset that must be protected.

"We know people care about their communities - in a terrific show of support, four million people signed a recent petition calling for the Government to do more to save rural post offices.

"The threat to community pubs is dire and unless we do something to curb this trend, Camra fears that many communities will find their local pub torn from them."

Promotional material - including beer mats, posters and advice sheets - will be available from the start of December by calling 01727 867201 or emailing cressida.feiler@camra.org.uk.

Details of events will be announced in early 2007.

For more information see www.camra.org.uk/communitypubsweek