According to PubAid, pubs raise more than £100m a year for charity.
For London-based multiple operator Ardent Pub Group, supporting local good causes has been embedded into the company’s ethos.
“Pubs are anchors of their communities,” said founder Dominic Jacobs. “People say that a lot, but it’s true. I don’t know a publican who wouldn’t give someone in need a meal. The world around us has changed, but communities still need somewhere to come together.”
Since April 2024, Ardent’s three pubs have contributed more than £150,000 to charities and local causes through customer donations, fundraising events and partnerships. Each venue focuses on a different community issue, from loneliness and food poverty at the Cadogan Arms in Chelsea to mental health initiatives at the George in Fitzrovia and grassroots sport and accessibility projects at the Hound, Chiswick.
“Our teams want to know that the business they work for cares about its community.”
Dominic Jacobs, Ardent Pub Group
“When guests see that you’re contributing to their community, it gives them another reason to support you,” Jacobs said. “That relationship becomes much stronger.”
Examples of how the business has given back include lunches for isolated older residents, support for local sports clubs and a dedicated partnership with mental health charity Shout, which has enabled dozens of people to access support through a bespoke keyword promoted within the pub.
While raising money for good causes is the main purpose, benefits often extend into the business itself, Jacobs outlined.
“Our teams want to know that the business they work for cares about its community,” he added.
“It gives them a sense of ownership and pride, and we hope that encourages them to stay with us and recommend us to others.”
The community work also played a role in Ardent securing B Corp certification and, according to the founder, helps create goodwill among customers, landlords and local stakeholders.
That sense of pride was echoed by Dave Wall, chef-patron of number two on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list the Unruly Pig in Bromeswell.
“Beyond the satisfaction of supporting some fantastic causes, one of the biggest benefits has been the sense of collective pride it creates within the business,” he said.
This year alone, guest contributions, donations and sponsorships have seen the pub contribute £8,500 to causes ranging from local theatre charity Red Rose Chain and girls’ football.
This is in addition to helping fund the rescue of five moon bears from South Korea to local wildlife park Jimmy’s Farm as well as sponsoring head chef Karl Green in running the London marathon for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Wall said: “We’re an industry built around generosity and looking after others.
“Extending a little of that generosity to worthwhile causes seems entirely fitting.”
Customer connection
Fundraising can also help pubs deepen their connection with customers by creating a sense of shared purpose.
At the Suffolk gastropub, a £1 charitable contribution is added to every bill, giving guests an easy way to support local causes alongside the business.
“It helps create a relationship that goes beyond the purely transactional,” the chef-patron said.
“When guests see that we’re supporting worthwhile causes, it gives them another reason to feel connected to the business.”
For Beth Robinson, licensee of the Beeswing Inn in Northallerton, fundraising has transformed both the pub’s role within the community and her own role as a publican while also securing them the title of Community Fundraising Hero at PubAid’s 2026 awards.
“For me, looking after the pub and looking after the community have become closely connected, and that is a huge privilege.”
Beth Robinson, the Beeswing
Over the past 13 years, the pub’s annual Cowtonbury music festival has raised £250,000 for local good causes.
Proceeds are donated to the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan centre, also in Northallerton - a place close to Robinson’s heart.
She noticed the facilities would welcome an upgrade after her mum’s cancer diagnosis in 2013.
Her association with the hospital continued as both her dad and mum - Les and Maureen - lost their battles with cancer in 2018 and 2023 respectively.
On fundraising, Robinson said: “Those relationships have helped shape the Beeswing into a place where people turn for support, share ideas and make things happen.
“For me, looking after the pub and looking after the community have become closely connected, and that is a huge privilege.”
The cash raised has helped create family rooms, a secret garden and support palliative care services, with many local people directly benefitting from the projects funded by the community’s generosity.
“We’ve had people come into the pub who have used the family room we helped fund,” Robinson added.
“A couple from the village even used the secret garden to get married before the bride sadly passed away. Knowing that our community helped give them that precious moment together brings home just how much this work matters.”
All three operators stressed fundraising does not have to involve huge budgets or ambitious targets.
“Support doesn’t have to involve a large donation,” Ardent’s Jacobs said.
“Sometimes simply offering space to a local group can make an enormous difference at very little cost.”
Making a difference
Wall echoed these comments and encouraged operators to focus on simple, sustainable initiatives.
He said: “You don’t need to organise a huge charity gala or commit to raising thousands of pounds from day one.
“Keep it simple, make it relevant and, above all, make it sustainable.”
Robinson’s advice was equally straightforward: start with the assets you already have and focus on local impact.
“Choose a cause that benefits your immediate community,” she said.
“When people can see the difference their support will make locally, they are much more likely to get involved, donate and help you make it a success.”
“Pubs are central to the wellbeing of their local areas.”
Dominic Jacobs, Ardent Pub Group
She also urged operators to make use of their networks, suppliers and community contacts to maximise every fundraising opportunity.
The licensee added: “I never set out expecting to raise £250,000. That has grown over time, but I always want to raise more and push myself to exceed my own expectations. Your first initiative doesn’t have to be a major event, start with something manageable and let it grow.”
Robinson also outlined how the Cowtonbury festival has strengthened relationships between customers, staff, volunteers and local businesses, resulting in “a real sense of pride and belonging” while helping position the Beeswing as a place where people can come together and support one another.
Similarly, Jacobs highlighted how fundraising helps demonstrate the wider value pubs bring to society.
“At a difficult time for many operators, it reminds us what we stand for as a sector,” he said.
“Pubs are central to the wellbeing of their local areas.”
As pubs continue battle against turbulent trading conditions, operators have highlighted how fundraising remains one effective way to reinforce the sector’s role at the heart of community life.
Without doubt, the money raised makes a difference, but the stronger relationships, increased team pride and deeper community connections created along the way could prove just as valuable.
