Bundaberg Rum has announced it is offering COVID-19 support to a further 300 pubs, clubs and bars across the country that are feeling the impact of the current public health restrictions and lockdowns.

Around 12 million people in Australia are currently in lockdown due to spiking COVID-19 cases, including parts of NSW, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.

The situation is hitting the hospitality hard, during what has already been a tough 12 months.

Bundaberg Rum’s $11.5 million Raising the Bar hospitality industry relief fund has already donated essential health and safety supplies and outdoor socialising equipment to more than 2000 licensed venues across the country.

Venues from Sydney to Scottsdale, from Melbourne to Mount Gambier, from Brisbane to Broken Hill and from Adelaide to Alyangula in the Northern Territory’s Groote Eylandt, have received support under the program which was set up to help the hospitality industry recover from COVID-19 last year.

The Raising the Bar fund has a final 300 Bear Cares packages to distribute to pubs, clubs and bars. These packages include hand sanitiser dispensers and refills, floor decals to promote physical distancing, PPE items for staff and patrons, and digital thermometers for contactless temperature checking.

Angus McPherson (above, left), Managing Director of Bundaberg Rum’s parent company Diageo Australia, said: “Raising the Bar is an $11.5 million initiative designed to support the hospitality industry through an enormously challenging period.

“Our hearts go out to hard working hospitality business owners and workers who had hoped for a busy winter holiday period, but have instead found themselves again having to shut their doors.

“Our Bear Cares kits are one way we can help these businesses by relieving some of the cost pressures associated
with operating in a COVID-safe manner. By having hand sanitiser stations set up, floor demarcations to support
physical distancing, plenty of masks on hand, and thermometers to temperature check, we’re hoping it’ll make it
that bit easier for venues to reopen, when health advice says it is safe to do so.”

Bendigo District RSL manager Martin Beekes said: “The Bear Cares package has helped ease the cost burden of compliance with the new COVID framework and the government regulations we’re operating under.

“Having that extra support from Raising the Bar through the Bear Cares package has been nothing short of amazing.”

To apply for one of the 300 remaining Bear Cares safety kits, venues are encouraged to click here.

How Bundaberg Rum is helping pubs bounce back