Proud of Pubs: Get in on the charity act
Did you know that the average community pub raises more than £3,000 for charity every year?
Whether it is via collection tins on the bar or a range of wacky events, pubs contribute hundreds of thousands to good causes.
As part of Proud of Pubs Week we are celebrating the charitable efforts of pubs with a dedicated date in the diary - Tuesday July 20.
As well as using that day to raise funds for charity we are also encouraging pubs to tell their local papers what they are doing in a bid to get some positive news coverage.
The Nightingale, in Balham London, has raised around £500,000 in the last 30 years with a variety of events, including its annual Nightingale Walk.
Manager Lee De Villiers said: "I think the key to raising money for any charity is to ensure it is a cause you personally believe in. If your heart is really in it, it is so easy to help.
"We have also managed to tie the charity work in with our business, so it is beneficial to both and makes it that much more satisfying."
And after you have made the donation remember to log it at industry website www.pubaid.com- which keeps a running tally of all the funds raised by pubs. Since the website was launched a year-and-a-half ago the total stands at nearly £4.5million.
A PubAid spokesman said: "The sector gives a phenomenal amount of money every year to tens of thousand good causes and we want to use this activity to raise the PR about how important the sector is in supporting local causes and national charities.
"If we continue at this rate we feel that the total amount raised every year will dwarf Pudsey Bear by some £75million. So if you are Proud of Pubs then you should register your pubs activity now."
Putting on events such as barbecues, quizzes, race nights and raffles can all raise funds but a key to getting more coverage is doing something original.
Here are a few events taking place this summer that could provide you with inspiration:
• The Olde Red Lion, in Kislingbury, Northamptonshire, is holding a sponsored bungee jump on June 26 and hopes to get around 40 people to take the plunge for Help for Heroes
• Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand is attempting to play 72 holes of golf on June 25 to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and Arthritis Research UK (sponsor him www.justgiving.com )
• Arkell's Brewery in Swindon recently lent strongman John Strange a lorry so he could 'pull a few pints' by moving it with his bare hands.
So now that you have the ideas get the collection tins out and let us know how you get on by emailing us at proudofpubs@thepublican.com or calling 020 7955 3714. Also check out the Proud of Pubs Week webpage
Tap into WaterAid with The Publican
The Publican is doing its bit to raise fund this year as media partners for Tap into WaterAid.
Since the mandatory code was introduced in April pubs have been obliged to provide free tap water to customers. Tap into WaterAid simply calls on licensees to ask for a donation of 15p or more whenever customers ask for water.
The money is used to help some of the poorest communities in the world have access to clean water.
So far more than 200 individual pubs have signed up as have companies including Charles Wells, Brains and Mitchells of Lancaster.
We have already raised thousands through donations at our Publican Awards and are set to raise thousands more through the sale of our Proud of Pubs Summer Ale.
WaterAid corporate account manager Cara Keane said: "We are absolutely delighted to have The Publican's support for Tap into WaterAid.
"It costs just £15 for WaterAid to bring safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to someone in poverty, so the momentum we are creating with the help of The Publican could literally change lives."
To sign up to Tap into WaterAid visit www.wateraid.org/thepublican
