British pubs are the cornerstones of our society. They’re a shared space, a place to meet old friends, make new ones, celebrate love, commiserate loss – they are the original social networking site. So it’s unsurprising that during a time when our country has found itself suffering an epidemic of loneliness, that it is our pubs who are coming through for those who need it most.

Earlier this week we came across a Twitter post from a beloved local in Wimbledon that truly represents the spirit of Christmas and of the Great British Pub. The Alexandra, famed for its fantastic community events, including Meet-up Mondays, did a shout out to their followers asking for anyone who may be alone on Christmas Day to be pointed in their direction. An incredibly touching gesture which was rightfully lauded by online observers.

Feeling quite inspired by this act of kindness we decided to do a bit of digging, and, unsurprisingly, found a whole host of equally wonderful pubs up and down the country with the same common goal for the impending festive season; to make sure no one in their community feels lonely this Christmas.

What makes these gestures all the more special is the fact that, as we all know, December is the busiest time of year for those working in hospitality. Publicans, managers, and their staff get little time off as it is, so the fact that they are willing to dedicate even more time and resources, voluntarily, for the benefit of their neighbours in need is a testament to the nature of this industry and those within it.

With that in mind, we wanted to do our bit to assist the outlets that are offering these get-togethers, as well as those who will benefit from them, with the resources we can offer. For those who are unfamiliar, Useyourlocal was created with the idea of connecting pubs and consumers – serving as one place where they can communicate and find all the information they need about what’s on in their local. So for the month of December we would like to offer any pub or bar that is hosting a community event free access to the Useyourlocal platform, along with the full support of our digital advisers.

We’re hoping to create a community of pubs and bars who would like to promote their events, so they are able to reach as many people as possible, and, likewise, can be easily found by those who are looking for somewhere to go.

If you are, or know of, a pub that is offering these kind of events over the festive period then please do get in touch with us to claim an access code and join the Christmas Community!

Email us: [email protected]

Phone: 0191 691 5000

To see the pubs that are hosting community events this Christmas, click here.