Bexleyheath pub hailed as community heroes in lockdown

Pete Marshall of The King’s Arms has been praised for going above and beyond over the last Covid-hit year, from Sunday roasts for hospital staff, Mother’s Day food for isolating mothers to fundraising virtual quizzes.

A new national report has stressed the importance of pubs such as this Bexley local have in society, also giving a stark reminder of the impact of the closure of pubs is having.

The report’s findings reveal the positive role pubs play in communities and people’s wellbeing, and highlight that the pandemic increases the relevance of protecting vital social connections in communities.

Pete poignantly said: “A virtual community is better than none, but I for one can’t wait to open the doors and welcome customers back into The King’s Arms again as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The Open Arms report was produced by Loughborough University for The Campaign to End Loneliness and in collaboration with HEINEKEN whose Brewing Good Cheer campaign has long championed the unique role pubs play in society.

In the report, The King’s Arms is singled out for praise as a “shining example of a pub really making a difference and putting the community first especially during the pandemic, a time when loneliness is at an all-time high.”

In March, when the pub had just closed in the first lockdown, pub licensee Mr Marshall said he wanted to do his bit.

The pub delivered 30 free meals to customers with socially isolating mothers and 30 free roast dinners to frontline staff working at the local hospital.

From then on, throughout the lockdown, pub staff prepped, cooked and delivered 50 roasts every Sunday to hospital staff, providing 700 meals to doctors and nurses during the first lockdown.

The Bexley local also hosted a virtual pub quiz for nearly 400 households on a weekly basis, raising thousands of pounds for the NHS and most recently a virtual Only Fools and Horses quiz raising funds for Dartford based special needs school, Shenstone School.

The News Shopper spoke to Pete back in June 2020 as the pub prepared to reopen for the first time since lockdown, with the focus very much on pub-goers safety.

Pete Marshall says: “Loneliness and isolation have affected so many across the UK these last 12 months exacerbated by the closure of pubs.

“Pubs like The King’s Arms are much more than places to have a pint and a meal, they’re hubs of their communities and a lifeline for many, providing somewhere for people to enjoy what might be their only social interaction for the day or even week.

“It’s why it has been so important for us to keep the community spirit alive and support residents during this challenging time.

“People are desperate to interact with one another and our The Big Night In event gives them that feel good factor that we’re all in dire need of.”

TV presenter and theatre star Denise Van Outen also visited the pub as part of the report to talk to Pete in more detail.

The latest plan is for the pub to host a unique fundraising event, again for Shenstone School, on Friday, February 5.

Pete will lead  ‘The Big Night In,’ aiming to bring the much-missed pub into people’s sitting rooms through a live-streamed gameshow.

People have to pre-purchase limited edition boxes containing home-made snacks, goodies and drinks as well game cards relevant to the night’s games.  The winner plays a big prize board with prizes donated by The King’s Arms and other local businesses.

The main findings of the report are as follows:

•             The report recognises the essential role that pubs like The King’s Arms play in positively connecting individuals, groups and communities highlighting that even a conversation with a member of pub staff lasting seconds or minutes can help alleviate feelings of loneliness.

•             Three quarters (76%) of staff questioned for the Open Arms report said the pub where they worked made a positive contribution to the local community and just over two thirds (64%) felt that it was one of the main places that people living in the local area could socialise.

•             A picture emerges of pubs offering somewhere for those living alone to meet or be around others from the local area as well as interact with pub staff in informal but meaningful and appreciative ways.

•             Older pub goers in particular when questioned mentioned that the pub’s sociable, welcoming atmosphere gave them the opportunity to make friends and stay socially active at a time when space for community interaction is increasingly rare.

•             Across the survey, interviews and focus groups it became clear that a great many pubs offer a range of activities to be involved with.

•             The report underlined that the appeal of pubs is therefore not that they sell alcoholic beverages but that they offer something that is difficult to recreate at home; a pleasurable social experience.

Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read, a Senior Lecturer at Loughborough University and writer of the report said: “The Open Arms report was guided by the belief that pubs can, and often do, have a social value beyond their economic role.

“Pubs can be really important settings for social activities beyond the home and the workplace, a place where people can feel a connection with others. The report reveals that for many, going to the local pub is an opportunity to get out of the house and have a conversation.

“Especially for older residents, meaningful social interactions like this can be infrequent, especially in retirement or after bereavement of a long-term partner leaves people socially isolated.

“This social contact, and the sense of connection and community it provides, has been under threat during the Covid-19 pandemic, and protecting the social role of pubs is now more important than ever.”