From live streaming to lifeline – Screach steps up to help pubs in their time of need

• The technology company Screach, the world’s first streaming platform built for commercial venues, has paused all customer billing and diverted resources and people to help Britain’s pubs
• Screach is repurposing its website to build an online hub for the pub sector, packed with practical advice on the Government support available and how landlords can transform their pub into a successful takeaway
• The ultimate aim is to create a forum that will help the sector pull together, help protect thousands of jobs and support a service that assists the most vulnerable people in society, following the Government’s call for all pubs and restaurants to close

London, 26th March 2020 – The streaming service for commercial premises, Screach, has put focus and resources into creating an online hub packed with resources to help pubs navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

The Government’s instruction to all pubs and restaurants to close poses the greatest challenge in a generation to the UK’s hospitality sector. In response, Screach has diverted team members, time and technology to do its bit to help. It has also paused all new billing to its customers until further notice.

The technology company, which created the first platform to allow pubs to stream live sport onto their existing TVs, is now building a forum that pub operators and managers can use to learn more about the Government support on offer and the practicalities of turning a pub kitchen into a financially viable takeaway operation serving its local community.

The free hub will also be a place for pubs to share tips, ideas and even staff as the industry is forced to adapt to survive. While the hub will be added to and extended in response to future developments, the key elements will be:

• A simple guide to the array of Government support measures available to pubs, from grants and loans to the facility allowing employers to ‘furlough’ staff and have the Government pay 80% of their salaries
• A guide to the practicalities of repurposing a pub kitchen into a takeaway that will generate revenue to pay staff salaries, and how best to run a delivery service
• An interactive forum sharing stories, advice and support from the pub front line – offering the sector a chance to pull together and pull through
• A weekly newsletter giving highlights of the latest developments and top tips

Robert Rawlinson, CEO of Screach, commented: “Few sectors are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic more immediately or severely than our own. As a technology company that serves the hospitality sector, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain’s pubs – and we are determined to do our bit to help.

“The Government has announced an array of support measures that pub owners and managers can use to keep their heads above water in the coming months. But finding the right information can be hard, so we’re collating and curating – to create a hub that will give them a simple, easy to use summary of the options available to them.

“For pubs contemplating using the newly relaxed planning rules to turn their kitchen into a takeaway operation, we’ve created a guide to the practicalities and considerations involved. Running a successful takeaway offers pubs a financial lifeline and the chance to provide a vital service for their local community.

“Above all we want to show pubs that they are not alone, and encourage everyone in the sector to pull together, so we can all pull through these difficult times.”