BEER lovers are helping to tackle a major cause of mental health issues by encouraging people to visit their local pub.

Pubs, nationally, have suffered a decline in trade with an average of two pubs closing a day across the country.

As well as the loss of businesses, there is another loss...of social meeting places.

Anyone can wander into a pub and chat with the landlord and for some that is their only social contact of the day.

Now Tendring’s Campaign for Real Ale is urging people to continue to use pubs.

Richard Oxborrow, a committee member with Tendring Camra, said: “It probably won’t surprise you to learn most Camra members do not get involved with Dry January. Many go positively out of their way to visit pubs in the first two months of the year.

“This isn’t a negative reaction, it is a positive one. First off you don’t need to drink alcohol to enjoy a visit to the pub and if you wrap up and walk there, you are doubling up on the health benefits.

“We should definitely be celebrating the healthy public house – good food, good beer and a nice chat and if you want to abstain from alcohol, they will serve you a range of soft drinks or a nice coffee or tea.

“If people are going to drink alcohol, it makes more sense, as a society, to encourage that to happen in the controlled environment of the pub rather than out of sight and out of mind somewhere else.”

Mr Oxborrow said struggling pubs have a knock-on effect. Micro-breweries depend on sales to pubs and when pubs close down, people turn to drinking alone at home.

Mr Oxborrow said that practice, far from reaping the benefits of social interaction, can have negative effects both mentally and physically.

Nationally, Camra has launched a campaign to promote the important role pubs play in tackling loneliness and social isolation such as offering free dinners for the elderly or hosting chatty table schemes.

The campaign aims to shine a light on how important pubs are to communities while breaking down the taboos around mental health.

Robin Hewings, director of campaigns, policy and research at the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “There are nine million lonely people in the UK and about four million of those are older people.

“They lack the companionship, friendship and support we all need.

“In our own polling, we found pubs are the place where people feel most comfortable starting conversations.

“Pubs are a great space for people to connect. Even just a small chat can make a big difference to someone who feels lonely.”

Mr Oxborrow said Tendring Camra supported the campaign to End Loneliness and the Meet Up Mondays initiatives, which will form part of their ongoing campaign for pubs.

“It was highlighted our two community-owned pubs in Tendring, the Maybush in Great Oakley and the Cross in Great Bromley, have excellent community engagement which already fulfils the aims of the campaigns.

“The branch also felt pub quiz nights were an excellent way to engage with the community, particularly less regular pub goers,” he added.

Tendring has had its share of pub closures of the year. Seven pubs closed in the district in the past year and 18 in the past five years.

But despite the closures, the area is still blessed with an array of pubs offering warmth and companionship to visitors, as they have done for centuries.

And hopefully as they will do for centuries to come.