A charity beer named after Cornwall’s most popular rugby export, Jack Nowell, has raised £14,257 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) over the past three years.
More than 150,000 pints of Cousin Jack Ale have been bought since the first barrel rolled off the line in 2016, when Jack Nowell became an ambassador for the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust.
The idea for the ale came about because Jack’s father is a trawlerman and the family have had a close connection with their local Penlee RNLI lifeboat for many years.
The traditional Cornish pale ale has become available in January every year to coincide with the start of the Six Nations Rugby tournament, with 5p from every pint going to the RNLI — more than 57,000 pints were sold during this year’s tournament alone.
RNLI coxswain, Patch Harvey, said: “We are overwhelmed with the amazing amount of money raised through the sales of Cousin Jack. Our grateful thanks, and those of the RNLI, go to our close friend and loyal supporter Jack Nowell, and to the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust. Donations such as this help the RNLI and our station in Newlyn to continue saving lives at sea — for that we are extremely grateful.”
Nowell said: “A big thank you to everyone who enjoyed a pint of Cousin Jack. It’s a great amount raised for the RNLI through the Charitable Trust.”
Piers Thompson, external relations director for St Austell Brewery, added: “The success of Cousin Jack has been phenomenal, it has gone far beyond our expectations. Jack’s passion for the RNLI is infectious and it’s great for us all to reflect on how much has been raised for such an important charity.”
Since its inception in 2003, the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust has raised more than £806,415.21 for local charities, individuals and organisations in need, with over £224,000 of that total coming from the company’s annual fundraising Celtic Beer Festival in November.
