Perfecting the art of fundraising
Spring Inn, Rochdale, Lancashire
Fifty-two weeks means 52 charity events for Spring Inn hosts John Cadwallader and Carol Holden. And Carol never tires of thinking up weird and wonderful ways to raise money. Last week John donned stockings and a black camisole for a cross-dress trolley-dash and helped raise £500 for their nominated charity, the Spring Hill Hospice. In the last eight months, the JW Lees-managed house has raised £17,850 for various local causes, bringing its running total for the past nine-and-a-half years to £77,850.
The Spring Inn's real community spirit lies in its hosts' awareness of the local population. 'There are a lot of people with disabilities and live-in carers around the local area, says Carol, 'so we have tried to make them feel they can visit the pub. Staff members have embarked on an 18-
week sign-language course and we now have a speaking menu system. We also allocate a personal waitress to parties who don't want to come in with carers, to help make their visit manageable and enjoyable.
Spring Inn sends every new local resident a welcome letter, newsletter and complimentary drinks voucher, which Carol says has never gone unclaimed. 'It's a real ice breaker for newcomers and helps them settle into the local community more easily, she adds.
John and Carol are always willing to try new ideas and services for the local population and their latest initiatives include a book exchange service. It is no wonder then, that the 43-strong workforce achieved wet and dry sales of more than £400,000 last year.
