Wooldale Arms

Wooldale, West Yorkshire Beer drinking and fundraising are just about the only meaningful activities you will find going on at the Wooldale Arms.

The pub is unashamedly wet trade only ­ a policy deliberately put in place by licensee Richard Holmes when he took on the village local with his wife, Kate, just short of two years ago.

It is also the undisputed king of local fundraising thanks to an amazing programme of activities and hardly a day goes by when there is not something happening at the Wooldale to raise cash for a good cause.

Fundraising is now so high on the agenda that a separate committee has been formed to co-ordinate all the events held in the pub.

The committee comprises Richard and two local policemen, Russ Conlon and Trevor Taylor.

Over the past year, more than £12,000 has been raised for a number of charities and local organisations, including the local Hepworth Brass Brand, Guide Dogs for the Blind, local disability learning group Xylosound, Holmfirth Cricket Club and the Wooldale Old Folks Treat.

Cash raised comes from a variety of different activities, such as football scratch cards, treasure hunts, weekly lottery bonus ball draw, race days and a myriad of different draws and raffles.

"The pub thrives as a business purely from wet trade sales," says Richard.

"We do not serve food and there is no pool table or darts, we exist purely through our bar sales and the fund-raising that attracts customers to the pub.

"Our regulars are drawn from all backgrounds and age groups, but all of them appreciate we are a pub that shuns music, entertainment and games.

Customers are quite happy drinking and chatting amongst themselves and are always ready to dig deep to support whatever is going on."

Richard and Kate only depart from their no-food policy when providing a buffet to celebrate a regular customer's birthday or when food is needed for a fundraising event.

But even then, the couple insists the food is provided on a cost-only basis and there is no profit for the pub.

"We are a friendly, community pub where 90% of our customers are known by name and most people know one another.

But there is no local clique here and strangers are made instantly welcome," says Richard.

"Our customers range from farm labourers to company directors and the way everyone mixes and gets stuck in is fantastic to watch.

"While we are here to run a business, we also want the pub to be an essential part of the community that helps worthy causes.