Nominations for the Campaign’s Pub Saving Awards are now open, including for a new heritage accolade.

The Pub Saving Awards honour campaigners who have saved a pub that would have otherwise been demolished or converted to another use. Alongside the longstanding Pub Saving Award, 2024 will have a new Heritage Award category to recognise the achievements of people who have revitalised a heritage pub in the last year. 

The awards continue to be as important as ever, as CAMRA volunteers across the country campaign to save the UK’s pub stock. This week marks the anniversary of the fire and subsequent demolition of the Crooked House, the beloved “wonky” pub in Himley, South Staffordshire. The awards aim to celebrate the success stories of pubs that have been saved from a similar fate. 

There have been countless challenges facing the pub industry in recent years, with stubbornly high energy bills, beer prices increasing, customers continuing to tighten their belts due to the cost-of-living crisis as well as the shadow the pandemic continues to cast.

As a vital heartbeat of communities across the UK, it’s crucial pubs are saved. One of the awards’ main aims is to secure publicity for pub-saving campaigns and encourage others to campaign to save their local. The nomination form can be found on the CAMRA website here.

Pub Saving Award coordinator Paul Ainsworth said: “This award is a fantastic showcase of our amazing volunteers and campaigners who go above and beyond to try and save their local pubs. The passion that these people have is unparalleled.

“Pubs across the country are closing their doors at an alarming rate but with these big community groups working behind the scenes together, they are helping the pub industry stay afloat. Hopefully, this award inspires others to help try and save their local.”

The Heritage Award is open to all pubs on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, whatever their star grading. Success criteria isn’t only based on what’s been done to a pub’s interior. Pubs can also win the award through the efforts of its management to run the pub enthusiastically, care for its heritage and make a positive contribution to the community. 

The most recent winner of the Pub Saving Award is the Rising Sun in Woodcroft, Chepstow (pictured). This historic pub dates back to 1870 and was brewery owned in 2011 until high rents and inflated beer costs caused its doors to close. The community was told it had been bought as a pub in 2012, but it had transpired that the new owner was a developer which wanted to turn it into residential property. This led to a heroic community-led campaign to buy the pub. Started by a few locals in early 2013, the Rising Sun opened its doors again to the community in October 2022. 

CAMRA wants to celebrate all the amazing people involved in these campaigns. The award can be made to any group which has carried out campaigning activity to save a pub from closure over the last 12 months. To nominate a pub for either award, visit: camra.org.uk/pubs-and-clubs/awards/pub-saving-award/ before 12 November. 

CAMRA has resources and support for anybody looking to save their local. You can find CAMRA’s Saving Your Local Pub guides, plus more resources and contacts for advice from www.camra.org.uk/saveyourlocal