People power is saving local pubs, with a 63% jump in community-owned pubs over the past five years.
According to a report from the trade body Co-operatives UK, communities have joined forces, and finances, to save 387 businesses from closure, compared with 238 in 2019.
The number of people who have backed the schemes over that period has doubled to just over 69,500, generating more than £58.9m in turnover. To date, £26m has been raised via community share offers.
Over the past year alone the number of community-owned pubs has increased by 53, or almost 16%, as local people have come together to save valuable assets.
