The George and Dragon in Ilfracombe is one of just 15 pubs from across the country to reach the finals of the Community Pub Hero Awards, organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and sponsored by Matthew Clark.
Nationwide, 200 pubs entered the Community Pub Hero Awards, including 70 nominated by their local MP. Entries were judged by a panel of industry experts and the overall winners will be announced in March, with all finalists invited to a presentation at the House of Commons.
The competition first ran in 2018 and has been expanded this year to offer two categories for pubs: Community Support Hero or Charity Fundraising Hero, and a new Community Regular Hero where pubs nominated a supportive customer.
The Punch Pubs community pub has been a focal point in its neighbourhood for the last 18 years, organising a huge array of fundraising events such as race nights, Easter Egg draws and even Star Trek walks! The weekly pub quiz, compiled by landlord Jon Quinn, has been incredibly popular, helping raise in excess of £170,000 over the years. The long and diverse list of local and national charities and causes to benefit includes Ilfracombe Library, St Johns Ambulance, Childrens Hospice South West and Prostate Cancer.
PubAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan said:
“Our heartfelt congratulations go to the George and Dragon. Choosing the finalists from a very strong set of entries was a real challenge and those pubs who have reached the shortlist should be very proud of their achievement.”
“Judges were hugely impressed by the stories from so many pubs, who have raised astonishing sums for charities, or provided incredible support for local people. The awards demonstrate, once again, that pubs are a force for good in their communities.”
John Steele, Trade Marketing Director, Matthew Clark added:
“We were delighted to support this competition again and pleased to see an increase in the number of entries over last year. It is wonderful to hear about the great work done by licensees and their teams and we’re happy to be giving them well-deserved recognition.”
The pub was nominated by Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon, who said:
“I am delighted to see that The George and Dragon, the oldest pub in Ilfracombe, has reached the finals of this national competition to recognise the fantastic work they do. They are a real hub of support for the community and have provided continued support to many groups and charities in Ilfracombe for many years.”
