A new Community Right to Buy Fund will help locals take over pubs, shops and other community assets that risk being lost otherwise
Communities will be able to use a £61million government fund to help save closure threatened pubs – in a victory for the Mirror.
The money will allow concerned locals to take over a cherished watering hole – or other local “gem” – that would otherwise be lost. The Mirror has been calling for new cash to be made available as part of its Your Pub Needs You campaign.
It comes after a previous scheme was scrapped before the last general election and never replaced, much to the anger of those who were banking on it. Campaigners say the lack of a central pot of money is making it even harder to raise the necessary funds to save pubs that have either already shut or are at risk of closure.
The new Community Right to Buy Fund will be targeted at deprived areas in England. As well as pubs, money will also be available to take over shops and other community assets in danger of disappearing.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “Pubs are the beating heart of our communities and the Mirror has shone a light on just how much they matter to people across the country.
“With England kicking off their World Cup campaign tomorrow, there’s never been a better time to get down your local – and our measures to back pavement pints mean the party can spill outside too.
“The £61million we’re announcing today for the Community Right to Buy Fund will give communities the power and the cash to save their community spaces, including their beloved local, before last orders are called for good – so get down there this summer and show your boozer some love.”
Details about the Right to Buy Fund will work, who can apply and how are due to be confirmed in the next month.
It comes amid concern about the dramatic rate of pub closures in recent years, fuelled by soaring costs, cheap supermarket competition, and changing customer habits. More than 2,000 pubs have shut since 2020.
Campaigners and industry bodies say losing a local pub also means one less place for people to meet, especially in rural areas where they are often at the heart of the community.
Figures show 188 pubs were lost in the final three months of 2025. The vast majority – 123 – were what were classed as community pubs, including many that still rely on drinks sales to survive.
Paul Ainsworth, national planning policy adviser at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: “The number of community-owned pubs opening has noticeably slowed down over the last year. This is undoubtedly connected to the demise of the Community Ownership Fund which made it much harder for locals to raise cash to save their pub.
“Without suitable and accessible funding, many community groups were simply priced out of trying to save their local from oblivion. We are awaiting the full details, but the news of this new funding looks set to be a vital lifeline for many pubs which are under threat of closure or conversion.
“Vibrant communities and flourishing local economies depend on pubs not only surviving but thriving. Community ownership is a fantastic pathway to securing a pub at the heart of community life for decades to come – a pub run by the people, for the people.”
Mr Reed said the funding was part of the £301million announced by the government to support our high streets and community spaces.
Speaking at an event in London, he said: “I want communities to take more power for themselves. A new £60million Community Right to Buy Fund will support groups to take over and run pubs, clubs, community centres and sports halls. This builds on the community right to buy, which we have already put into law so communities have the first right of refusal when community spaces come up for sale.”
Addressing New Local’s Stronger Things Conference, he also acknowledges wider challenges facing the government. “Trust in politics is at an all-time low,” he said. “ Time and again, people have voted for change, time and again change never came.
“If our present system had the answers, then our country wouldn’t be in the state we find it in today. The status quo just doesn’t work for too many people. They feel locked out of prosperity, locked out of power, and locked out of the future. So we have to do things differently, but first we have to understand what’s gone wrong.”
