The Prince’s Countryside Fund has announced the award of four major grants to Pub is The Hub pub diversification projects, in partnership with the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Prince's Countryside FundEach of the four pubs has been awarded £25,000 in direct grants to support major capital projects that will serve to benefit their surrounding rural communities, with much needed services in Northumberland, Suffolk, Essex and Cornwall.

The four pubs included in the direct funding are:

• The Bird in Bush, at Elsdon in the Northumberland National Park. The grant will support a major refurbishment of the kitchen, and improvements to the accommodation facilities.

• The Oyster Inn, Butley, near Woodbridge, Suffolk. The grant will support the provision of essential village services.

• The Maybush Inn, in Great Oakley, Essex, owned by Great Oakley Community Hub Ltd. It  has been awarded the grant to renovate a derelict cottage next to the pub to provide a village café.

• The Victoria Inn, in Roche, Cornwall. The money will support the cost of providing a meeting room equipped with IT facilities and wifi, a community kitchen and a community events square.

In addition to the direct funding for the pub projects, Pub is The Hub is to receive support over the next two years for increased activity in the South West of England; from Cornwall up to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. By the end of the summer 2018, it is expected that 30 interested communities will have been supported through additional new services and activities.