Editor’s Viewpoint: A Glimmer of Hope in Challenging Times
By Peter Adams, Editor, CLH News.
In these undeniably dark times for hospitality, when we seem to report on pub closures and business pressures with depressing regularity, it’s genuinely heartening to witness initiatives that demonstrate the sector’s resilience and community spirit.
Two campaigns currently underway deserve far more publicity than they’re receiving, and I would urge all our readers to get behind them and shout about them across every social media platform at their disposal.
The Help Out Hospitality campaign, inspired by the successful Eat Out to Help Out scheme from the pandemic era, brings together over 50 of the UK’s top hospitality venues and suppliers in a coordinated effort to combat the mounting pressures facing the industry. Running from January through to the end of March, this initiative tackles head-on the perfect storm of spiralling food prices, rising wage bills, and relentless supply chain challenges that continue to squeeze margins and threaten viability.
What makes this campaign particularly impressive is its collaborative nature, with suppliers negotiating support packages that enable restaurants to run promotions whilst maintaining sustainable margins.
Similarly, Support an Independent Pub Day, returning for its third consecutive year on 31 January, marks the close of Dry January with a targeted effort to boost independent pubs when they need it most. The statistics are sobering: 366 pubs closed in England and Wales by the end of 2025 alone. That’s one pub lost every single day. Over the past five years, we’ve lost roughly 2,000 pubs, and this trend shows no sign of reversing.
Organised by the CityStack London Independent Pub Collection and Historic Pub Crawls author Thomas J. Vosper, this initiative sets pint sales targets for participating venues, encouraging communities to rally round and make the tills ring.
With over 80 independent pubs already signed up, and the movement joined by influencers like TikTok creator Phil Carr (whose community boasts over 1 million followers), there’s genuine momentum building. This is exactly the kind of grassroots support that can make a tangible difference.
Both campaigns represent something hospitality desperately needs: practical, actionable support rather than hand-wringing. They deserve our full backing and amplification.
Which brings me to another initiative that demands recognition: Stonegate Group’s two-year partnership with the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to bring suicide prevention into the heart of Britain’s pubs, bars, and venues. The ‘Cheers to Checking In’ campaign tackles one of the most pressing crises of our time, and the statistics are truly distressing.
Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK dies by suicide. It remains the biggest killer of men under 50, whilst rates among young women under 24 are rising faster than ever. One in four people will experience suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, and within hospitality itself, one in two workers reports struggling with mental health. These aren’t abstract numbers; they represent lives, families, and communities that touch us all.
The contribution pubs and the wider hospitality sector make to our collective wellbeing simply cannot be understated. Since ancient times, taverns have been the beating heart of communities. Take inns, for instance—they were the original social networks, second only to the church. These vibrant public gathering places were where you’d catch up with neighbours and indulge in proper conversation.
We are after all, social creatures at heart, designed to thrive in tribes.
Pubs in the UK are far more than just watering holes; they’re the social glue that sticks friends and family together. These lively hubs offer a much-needed escape from the daily grind, nurturing connections that keep our mental gears turning smoothly, something I truly feel our present government fails to grasp!
The cosy ambiance of a pub is perfect for banter, swapping stories, and fortifying friendships. In an age of increasing isolation and digital disconnection, the role of the traditional pub as a third place—neither home nor work—becomes ever more crucial.
Stonegate’s partnership with CALM recognises this unique position. As the UK’s largest pub company, they can reach people in the social spaces where conversations happen naturally, displaying CALM’s messaging and support across their estate through in-venue signage and digital screens. The timing matters too: seeing that support at the right moment could help someone feel less alone and encourage them to seek help.
A Call to Action
So here’s my challenge to everyone reading this: get behind these campaigns. Share the Help Out Hospitality platform. Visit an independent pub on 31 January and help them hit their pint target.
Use the hashtag #CheersToCheckingIn on social media. Talk about mental health in your venues.
Create spaces where checking in on a mate is as natural as ordering a round.
These initiatives won’t solve all of hospitality’s problems, but they represent something precious: the sector fighting back with imagination, solidarity, and genuine care for both businesses and communities. In these challenging times, that spirit deserves to be celebrated and supported.
For more information:
• Help Out Hospitality: helpouthospitality.co.uk
• Support an Independent Pub Day: 31 January 2026
• Stonegate x CALM: Follow #CheersToCheckingIn and #Beavertown on social media
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I can always be contacted at edit@catererlicensee.com