On Tuesday 5th March, the winners of the 2025 PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards were announced at the awards ceremony held in the House of Commons.
Organised by PubAid and sponsored by Matthew Clark, the event brought together some of the UK’s most dedicated pubs and community champions. Now in its sixth year, the awards are held in partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group.
With nearly 700 entries submitted by both publicans and MPs, this year’s winners reflect the remarkable impact that pubs continue to have on society. Whether through fundraising, grassroots sport, sustainability initiatives, or vital community support, these pubs are the heartbeat of their communities.
Outstanding Contribution Award
The night’s highest accolade, the Outstanding Contribution Award, was presented to The Royal Oak in Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton. This Marston’s pub, which also claimed the title of Community Fundraising Hero – England, has made an extraordinary impact by raising funds to purchase and maintain a blood bike, providing a lifeline to the NHS. Operating 24/7, this service has already completed 6,000 NHS jobs, with three pub regulars now trained as volunteer riders.
Community Regular Hero
Gerry McMahon, of the Fadmoor Community Pub, North Yorkshire was honoured as the UK Community Regular Hero for his unwavering determination to save his local pub from closure. Over ten years, he secured £300,000 in funding, helped achieve Asset of Community Value status, and transformed the pub into a thriving village hub.
Pubs Championing Sustainability, Sport, and Community Support
The awards also shone a spotlight on pubs making a difference in other vital areas:
Sustainability Hero
The George, Castleton took home the Sustainability Hero award in recognition for its kitchen garden, solar-powered energy, and innovative kiln repurposing glass waste, alongside a Community Food Swap tackling food waste and Greedy George, an Ecobot50 converting food scraps into soil-enriching compost.
Community Sport Hero
The Pig & Whistle, London won the Community Sport Hero award for England. A driving force in grassroots sports, the pub has funded, sponsored, and supported local teams, including ladies’ netball, rugby, and junior training camps, helping players progress to elite levels.
Community Support Hero
Winning for Northern Ireland for the second year in a row, Charlie’s Bar, Enniskillen took home the Community Support Hero award thanks to its widely praised social Christmas advert, which captured hearts across the country.
Lifesaving Initiative
Honoured for installing a community defibrillator in memory of its late co-owner, The Polwarth Tavern, Edinburgh demonstrated how pubs can provide life-saving resources.
Meet your 2025 Community Pub Hero Awards winners
Here’s the full list of 2025 winners:
Community Support Hero
- England – Lock & Quay, Liverpool
- Scotland – The Polwarth Tavern, Edinburgh
- Wales – The George & Dragon, Abergele
- Northern Ireland – Charlie’s Bar, Enniskillen
Community Fundraising Hero
- England – The Royal Oak, Wolverhampton
- Scotland – Westerton Arms
- Wales – King’s Head Inn, Llangennith
- Northern Ireland – The Halfway House Country Pub
Community Sport Hero
- England – The Pig & Whistle, Merton Road, London
- Scotland – The Victoria Inn, East Lothian
- Wales – Riverside Sports Bar, Newport
PubAid was formed in 2009 with the aim of highlighting the great work done by UK pubs, which includes raising more than £100m every year for hundreds of charities. The Community Pub Hero Awards recognise the pubs who go the extra mile to support their local communities and raise money for charity. Find out more at the PubAid website.
About the author
Mary McCarron
Mary looks after the majority of Matthew Clark's digital marketing comms. After a couple of years working in tech, she found her way back to the hospitality industry and can now be found talking all things cocktails, spirits, beer, softs and more across our website, social media, and other digital channels.
