Brakspear presents its final cheque to Marie Curie. Left to right are: Tom Davies, Brakspear chief executive; Sandra Duggan, licensee at the Chequers in Berrick Salome; Hazel Bendon, Marie Curie local fundraiser; Mark Duggan, Chequers licensee; and Emma Sweet, Brakspear marketing manager
Henley-based pub operator and brewer Brakspear has raised more than £42,000 for the terminal illness charity Marie Curie over the last 18 months, thanks to enthusiastic and determined fundraising by teams in its 130 pubs and at head office.
Marking the end of the charity partnership, which started in March 2017, Brakspear presented a final cheque to Marie Curie at the Chequers in Berrick Salome near Wallingford, Oxfordshire. Licensees Mark and Sandra Duggan and their team raised £3,290 for the charity, placing them at the top of the fundraising leaderboard.
Brakspear’s pub and head office teams raised money for Marie Curie in a variety of ways, ranging from the simple but effective collection tin on the bar to events lasting a weekend.
In their support for the charity, Brakspear pubs hosted pub quizzes, beer festivals, golf days, live music nights, raffles and auctions, Easter egg hunts, barbecues, family fun days and more.
As well as events, many pubs raised money regularly by suggesting customers donate money for a carafe of tap water, or adding an optional 50p to a popular menu item. There were also feats of endeavour as team members completed challenges including the London Marathon and RideLondon100 bike ride in aid of Marie Curie.
‘At the heart of local communities’
Brakspear chief executive, Tom Davies, said: “This was our second estate-wide charity partnership and we’re delighted that our pub and head office teams have again risen to the challenge and thrown themselves into fundraising for Marie Curie.
“Many of our licensees, staff and their customers have been touched by Marie Curie at times of need, and were keen to help this charity that, like our pubs, is at the heart of local communities.
“We’re very proud to have collected this sum, which will enable Marie Curie to do more of their great work helping people living with terminal illnesses, and their families.”
Marie Curie senior partnership manager, Helen Stock, said, “We’re grateful fo Brakspear for their fundraising. Many of their pub teams put huge time and effort into organising events, on top of the demands of running their pub.
“The money they have raised will help us to care for more people affected by any terminal illness, providing emotional support and expert care to people when they need it most.”
Mark Duggan, licensee at the Chequers in Berrick Salome, said, “Most of our fundraising was from a huge garden party which we put on last September in the pub grounds. We had live music, a hog roast, garden games and children’s entertainment, including horse rides, as well as a silent auction and raffle, with some very generous donated prizes.
“Customers were happy to buy tickets to the event, knowing that all proceeds were going to Marie Curie; it’s a charity with wide support and everyone knows the wonderful work they do locally.”
