Alison Brewster (pictured) runs the Ferry Inn, Norfolk which is much more than a community pub as it also hosts the only grocery shop for miles.

She turned to government support when she decided to become a shopkeeper after the village’s only store shut 18 months ago.

Thanks to a grant from Pub is The Hub, people can skip the six-mile round trip to the nearest town for essential groceries.

Now, other rural pubs can benefit from the up to £110m allocated to support country communities across England.

The money will be invested in projects which will boost productivity and create rural job opportunities.

Money available includes the £150m Community Ownership Fund which helps communities take ownership of assets at risk of closure protecting, for example, the last shop or pub in the village.

Rural affairs minister Lord Benyon said: “We are addressing the rural productivity gap, levelling-up opportunities and outcomes, and looking after the rural areas and countryside that so many of us are proud to call home.

"The Rural England Prosperity Fund worth up to £110 million recognises the unique strengths and challenges of rural communities and will support them to invest and grow their economies in line with local priorities.”

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “This major investment in rural businesses will help us boost the countryside economy and close the rural productivity gap. It’s our mission to spread opportunity across the whole of the UK and this funding will help us do just that.”