Third of Brits say their local pub is best place to open up about problems

More than a third of Britons say their local is a good place to get things off their mind.

The new survey from found 36% of UK adults say it is a great place to start a chat about their problems - showcasing why it is so important to protect our .

It came much higher-placed than and phone, with just 9% and 8% of people saying they were the perfect places to open up respectively. One in 6 people said they would happily open up about a problem they’re facing to their local publican or bartender.

On average, young people aged 25 and under are the age demographic most likely to open up about their problems, with 72% doing this.

However those aged 65 and over the least likely, with just 35% of people in this age group talking about what is on their mind. The main reason people avoid sharing their problems is because they don't want to burden others, closely followed by the feeling that their issues are too personal.

The survey also found 60% of people said talking about an issue they faced in the past helped reduce their stress levels.

It comes as Greene King is encouraging people to open up about health and personal problems as part of its charity campaign across its pub communities.

It has also announced a significant £20 million fundraising milestone achieved for its long-term charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support.

Nick Mackenzie, CEO at Greene King commented: “We often talk about the importance of the pub in our communities, and this research shows that the cornerstone of any community is a trusted safe space that can hold every human emotion experienced – somewhere to share the laughs, and the tears and everything in between.

“Pubs have always been at the heart of communities, and that has never been clearer than now, when our dedicated pub teams and our amazing customers have come together to support a cause that is close to the hearts of so many.”

Current figures show there are currently around 3 million people in the UK living with cancer and with an ageing population, this is set to rise to 4 million by 2030.

With many patients facing ongoing disruption to care and treatment, loss of income and everything else a diagnosis brings, this means the support they offer is now more important than ever.

Azmina Rose, lead for personalised cancer care at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Cancer can be scary and comes with significant uncertainty for what the future might hold.

"Everyone’s needs are different and will vary at different points of their cancer experience, but we want to make sure people are supported to live their lives as fully as they can through providing emotional and practical support.

“The incredible amount of money will help us at Macmillan to provide that support to so many people. £20m could fund almost 150 Macmillan nurses for a whole year and provide a vital £200 grant for 30,000 people with cancer, as well as supporting our entire team of specialist information nurses on the Macmillan Support Line phone service for a full year, helping them answer more than 60,000 calls and queries from people affected by cancer.”