A Pint Of Love: CAMRA Concludes Community Pub Film Series

CAMRA has released the third and final film in its community owned pub documentary series, A Pint of Love, focusing on the Yr Heliwr in Nefyn, North Wales.

Yr Heliwr had been closed for a decade, and the Nefyn community rallied together to save their precious local pub in 2018. After an impressive fundraising campaign, the pub reopened in 2021, becoming the community’s vital social hub once again.

The film explores how crucial the re-opening of Yr Heliwr was to the town of Nefyn, both socially and financially. Through interviews with regulars, volunteers and key stakeholders, learn how much the pub has revitalised the coastal town, with the high street brought back to life after the pub’s success.

The remarkable story offers a warm look inside of this small, Welsh town and highlights the pub’s efforts to keep the Welsh language and culture alive with the bar staff speaking in the language and hosting lessons for locals and tourists.

This series has been put together by the filmmaking team Katie Greenhalf and Rachel Auty, with the help of Plunkett UK.

Watch the final film in this series, A Pint of Love, here.

The first film, More Than A Pub, starring Tottenham’s Antwerp Arms, is available to watch on CAMRA’s Learn and Discover platform, along with the second film in the series, Where Community Grows, about the Travellers Rest, North Yorkshire, here.

Gary Timmins, CAMRA Pub and Club Campaigns Director said: “This film shows how important pubs are to our communities. When one is lost forever, it is a disaster for both the wellbeing of the local people and the local economy. It’s amazing to see the impact a community owned pub can make once open, reviving high streets and offering a friendly, welcoming space for everyone. They really are assets to our communities.

“The Chancellor’s recent Budget was nothing but a complete mess for the industry, with rising business rates and lack of support likely to close many more pubs. I hope audiences watching are inspired by the success of Yr Heliwr and look into the option of community ownership to save their own local as evidently Government is happy to see pubs drown in a sea of VAT, business rates, energy bills, alcohol duty and increased Employer National Insurance contributions.

“The Government must also re-introduce a dedicated funding pot, so community groups can get the financial help they need to save their beloved closed locals.”

Rachel Auty, Cameron Rae Consultancy Ltd and Women On Tap CIC added:
“I loved meeting the committees, teams and locals at each of the three community pubs. It’s been a real honour. Hearing their stories and learning more about their communities has been brilliant.

“I’ve always believed that pubs are an essential part of society, and now more than ever we need these local places of togetherness and belonging. These films reflect that.”