“ADOPT YOUR LOCAL PUB”

FOR COMMUNITY PUBS WEEK 2008

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has today announced that Community Pubs Week 2008 will run from Saturday 16th February to Saturday 23rd February.

Community Pubs Week was launched in 2007 after research revealed that up to 56 pubs a month are being lost forever, with more than a thousand under threat of closure at any time. Licensees are encouraged to organise and promote a number of events during the week to attract more local people to visit community pubs. This campaign highlights the vital role pubs can play in the lives of the people they serve.

Anyone concerned over the threat to British pubs is being encouraged to “Adopt their local pub”. Members of the public who want to support their local can do so by ordering a free Community Pubs Week pack from CAMRA by calling 01727 867201 or visiting www.pubsweek.org and delivering it to the licensee of the pub and encouraging them to participate in this event.

Pubs can also order a free Community Pubs Week Pack direct from CAMRA by calling 01727 867201 or visiting www.pubsweeek.org

Packs include:

• Event ideas for pubs to run during Community Pubs Week
• Posters to promote events that the pub will run in the week
• Posters that promote a Community Pubs Week competition to find ten hidden pubs
• Pump-clip crowners to place on the bar
• Advice Sheets and Press Release templates.
• Beer mats that incorporate a competition to find the most unusual pub names in Britain

CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner said: “Many people are concerned about the potential loss of community pubs but don’t know what they can do to help. By adopting their local pub in Community Pubs Week they can help to boost trade at this difficult time of year for the licensed trade and put pubs at the heart of the community where they belong.”

Community Pubs Week website  - www.pubsweek.org

The Community Pubs Week website includes –

• On-line form for pubs to order Community Pubs Week Pack
• Information on how a pub-goer can Adopt a Pub
• Press Area that includes press releases and images
• Events happening across Britain during Community Pubs Week

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Press stories to celebrate Community Pubs Week will be issued to the media during the week commencing Monday 11th February. These will include:

• Announcement of CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year (February 15th)
• Results of a recent consumer study into attitudes to pubs and the licensed trade
• Launch of new campaign to reduce beer duty

Community Pubs Week began in 2007 and superseded National Pubs Week, which ran successfully for four years until 2006. Due to evidence that community pubs are under particularly severe threat CAMRA has refocused its efforts to protect them specifically under the banner ‘Community Pubs Week’.

For more information

CAMRA Press Office – 01727 798443 or visit www.pubsweek.org