Pub manager's reward for helping reduce violence

Beth Burns is manager of The Queens Hotel in Maltby and has been given the Nation Pubwatch Award of Merit.

That is a reward for her work chairing the Maltby Pubwatch scheme, which operates to help keep the community safe.

In her work as manager of The Queens, Beth has worked to improve security, safety and wellbeing for both staff and customers at her pub and as part of the wider Pubwatch scheme covering the wider Maltby area.

That has included working with police and Rotherham Council, setting up joint meetings to look for ways to tackle problems as effectively as possible.

That work is credited with helping to increase the number of families using pubs in the area, alongside a decline in violence and anti-social behaviour.

According to Pubwatch, which oversees around 800 similar schemes nationally, the group has also had the effect of stimulating more community activity, bringing residents together for other projects.

They include distraction events, to provide activity for youths on bonfire night, as a diversion from potentially getting involved in anti-social behaviour, community walks as an answer to loneliness and isolation and litter picking sessions.

Beth said: “It is great to be recognised with this National Pubwatch award.

“Partnership working with other stakeholders in the local area has really worked in bringing the community together.”

The Queens is a Wetherspoons pub and chief executive John Hutson said Beth’s award was “richly deserved”.