John Stevenson, the MP for Carlisle, is supporting the “Raising the Bar” campaign, a global programme by Diageo, which aims to support pubs and bars as they welcome customers back, following the Covid-19 pandemic. The programme is providing a total of $100 million (approximately £75 million) worldwide and is open for applications from businesses across the globe, including in New York, Sydney, London and Carlisle.

“Raising the Bar” will enable any bar anywhere in the world to have free access to the Diageo Bar Academy, where pub and bar managers as well as owners can access best practice training. This digital training will include hygiene standards, venue layout guidelines, guest communication and responsible serving.

Those who register for this training will also be able to receive support from industry experts on how to optimise their recovery, including assistance with profitable menu development, reservations and capacity training, as well as how to use takeaway and delivery systems.

In addition to this training, Diageo can provide some of the physical equipment pubs and bars require for re-opening following the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes medical grade hand sanitiser units and refills, as well as takeaway execution kits.

In order for pubs and bars to receive this support from the “Raising the Bar” pledge, outlets will need to confirm they have shown support to their community during the Covid-19 pandemic and they will need to register online on the My Diageo website to be considered.

John Stevenson said: “Pubs and bars in Carlisle are vitally important to the local economy. I hope that local businesses will take this opportunity to register online, so that they can receive the free training and equipment that is available to them from Diageo”.

If you would like to apply for support for your pub or bar from the “Raising the Bar” programme, you can do so through the MyDiageo website: https://www.mydiageo.com/s/raising-the-bar-gb