Walking the walk: Halifax’s Shibden Mill Inn owner Simon Heaton and general manager Glen Pearson walked a gruelling 200 miles from coast to coast of the UK. They undertook the journey with friend Mark Lewis to raise funds for Overgate Hospice, Breast Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK. The trio completed the challenge in nine days — two days quicker than most. As well as enduring fog and winds, Simon admits to taking the team up a 2,400ft mountain by mistake, adding five miles to the journey.
Peak performance: more than 50 Admiral Taverns team members, including senior directors, scaled Britain’s tallest mountain Ben Nevis to raise £10,000 as part of a year-long Make a Difference campaign. The money was given to Mind after Admiral CEO Kevin Georgel chose the charity to help tackle the stigma around mental health. More challenges are to follow, with a triathlon that includes climbing Ben Nevis for a second time, cycling 25 miles and canoeing three kilometres across Loch Lochy.
Lion hearted: the Three Lions, in Farncombe, Surrey, squeezed 14 music acts in to one day for its annual Meadrow Acoustic Festival. The sell-out event raised £1,285 for local charity Skillway, which provides vocational workshops for 14 to 16-year-olds, teaching them practical life skills to use in their careers. Bands provided an eclectic mix of music, from rock to folk. Licensee Sarah Firth said she was delighted with the support from the local community and the amount raised, describing the festival as a ‘runaway success.’
Rugger recce: brewery and pubco the Liberation group ran a day out for injured service personnel as part of its association with charity Holiday for Heroes. A party of 15 visited Bath rugby training facility Farleigh House, where they saw the Aviva Premiership side prepare for a match. As well as a tour of the Bath training centre, the service personnel and their families were treated to lunch.
Runaway success: Greene King employees David Carr, Maisie Williams and Rik Pegg took on the London Marathon, raising a total of £6,560. Marie battled injury to finish, while the event was the latest in a long line of physical challenges for head of brewing David over the past year. Fellow head office employees chipped in with donations at cake sales and to the pair’s online sponsorship pages. Since 2012, GK has raised over £1.4m for Macmillan.
Heroic effort: visitors to Marston’s Burton-based brewery raised nearly £1,000 for Help for Heroes on St George’s Day. Revellers enjoyed a hog roast, live band and a vintage vehicle rally while donating via collection buckets. Beer fans were well catered for, with 11 different beers on offer. Patron saint St George made an appearance on the day in the form of Graham Benford from the brewer’s distribution team. The event was attended by record numbers, despite bad weather.
