Crafty Idea: How a West Yorkshire Pub’s Warm Welcome to Creative Groups is Helping Local Crafters and the Pub

Publicans Eileen and Jock Geater and daughter Jess Har vey have worked hard to establish a pub at the hear t of its local community since taking over The George , at Birkenshaw near Bradford, after lockdown in April 2021

Examples of the strong community spirit the trio have fostered at The George include running a lockdown shop selling food essentials and working with food waste schemes to distribute food to people on their own or struggling to afford food Activities which help bring people at the pub together also include regular trips, such as to breweries or a myster y trip, and 35 people from the pub going on a cruise together this year too

Creating Connections

Since October 2022, the publicans have also been offering the pub as a warm space and have put on more daytime activities to help enter tain and bring locals together This was inspired by Pub is The Hub s Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness’ initiative Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness – Pub is The Hub

Eileen says: ‘I read about Pub is The Hub’s ‘Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness’ initiative in a pub industr y magazine and found out more on the PiTH website We cried when we read David Attree’s poem ‘Calling Last Orders for Loneliness’ https://www youtube com/watch?v=CQlb27qWhx0&embeds euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww pubisthehub org uk% 2F&feature=emb imp woyt

She adds: “We thought this is us and feel our pub is the community hub and we are more than just a pub We want to help tackle loneliness in our local area ”

The aim of the pub’s daytime activities, such as ‘Meet Up Mondays’ and ‘Thursday Board Games Day’ is to encourage people to come to The George to keep safe keep warm and keep in touch with others as well as offering the oppor tunity to meet new people

Eileen adds: “The pub is here we are open so why not use the space we have got to help others ”

The publicans’ warm and welcoming approach to customers is also reflected by all of the pub’s team Eileen says: “As publicans we are always out and about on the shop floor so if people come in for the first time we will fill them in on what is on offer at the pub and just get to know them We always make a point of telling people who we are and how long we have been at the pub and that this is a family pub etc

Connecting Through Crafting

A group that has helped locals to create connections with others is the pub’s weekly ‘Crafternoons’ group, which meets on a Tuesday from 12 noon to 2pm, offering weekly changing activities organised and led by a volunteer

Around ten people attend the ‘crafternoons’ group weekly, with people paying £2 a session, towards craft materials The pub’s team also collect materials from people giving things away for the group to use A hot drinks station is set-up for the group so they can make themselves refreshments during their session

It was during lockdown that the idea of hosting a regular craft group at the pub came about Eileen says: It was my sister s idea, who is into crafting, and she was saying that there was nowhere locally for people to go to do this and meet up, so the group star ted as soon as lockdown was over ”

She adds: “The group has bought people together and star ted friendships It gives people a reason to get together and get out of the house The group has a lovely vibe and is really well suppor ted Three of the craft group attendees also now come along to the pub’s weekly quiz night together and many bring their families in for Sunday lunch

Attracting Attendees

To help encourage people along to ‘crafternoons’

Eileen features the group on posters in the pub and displayed locally and through table talkers Word of mouth is also an impor tant way of getting people along

Eileen says: “Put something on and people will come Some people have got involved by seeing the group going on in the pub or when I’m out in the village I talk to people and tell them about it I love being a community connector ”

The craft group also has a stall at the pub’s annual Christmas Market, which helps to raise awareness of the group and gives a great focus for their crafting activities

Group Blooms

A flower arranging group, organised and funded by a local organisation, which met at the pub for a few weeks was also really popular, with around ten attendees Eileen says: “It was really successful with par ticipants taking par t in different activities including making planters and arranging vases of flowers The materials were funded by a grant the group got We hope it will restar t this year

Knitting People Together

The George is also the venue for a ‘Wool & Wine’ group, which meets at the pub on Wednesday evenings and has been running for a couple of months, with around seven attendees and growing Eileen says: “We just book a table out for them each week The group star ted meeting at The George following a conversation I had with the organiser who said they were hosting a knitting group at home They are enjoying meeting at the pub, which also gives plenty of space for more people to come along as the group continues to expand ”

EILEEN’S TIPS ON HOSTING CREATIVE GROUP

It is about being flexible and giving groups a warm welcome and the oppor tunity to feel at home , so they don’t feel like they can’t move tables or make a mess You want to create an environment where they feel they can do their class freely and easily

The ‘crafternoons’ group meet in our spor ts bar, which has really big tables which are ideal for crafting and can be pushed together to create a really big table for people to sit around We let the group redesign the room how they want for their activities

Ensure your team members are well-briefed on the needs of the group and that it doesn’t matter if they make a mess

‘PUBS WELCOMING CREATIVITY’ INITIATIVE

The George now features a ‘Creativity Welcome Here’ window sticker and poster from Creative Lives, www creative-lives org, in the pub to help encourage more creative groups to have a chat with the pub’s team about hosting their activities there

Publicans can find a range of resources from Creative Lives, as par t of its ‘Pubs Welcoming Creativiuty’ campaign to help them to welcome creative groups to their venues here: Pubs Welcoming Creativity – Toolkit | Creative Lives (creative-lives.org)