We have such a wonderful tradition of pubs being at the centre of our communities – nowhere more so than here in Faversham and Mid Kent.
This year I wanted to nominate one for Pub Aid’s Community Pub Hero awards. They recognise pubs who go the extra mile to support their communities, with the finals hosted at a ceremony in Parliament.
So many pubs go above and beyond locally it was tough to choose who to nominate, but in the end I decided to nominate The George Inn in Newnham.
During the pandemic Dave and Claire Elliott made the George a focal point for the community, opening a farm shop, parcel drop-off and collection point, as well as launching a food delivery service and providing 5,000 meals for NHS staff.
They've kept this up since the pandemic, and when I went to visit them the other day they told me about all the other wonderful things they've been doing since - continuing to play a major part in village life, and hosting regular community and fundraising events.
Dave and Claire are the embodiment of that pandemic spirit which saw people coming together to support their communities. I’m so proud to have them locally and I’m sure that the people of Newnham are too.
Fingers crossed we get some good news from the judges soon!
