The site also gave £6,000 to Cancer Research UK and The Alzheimer’s Society during a charity presentation evening. The event combined the pub’s 11th anniversary and celebrated the sites fundraising efforts.
Owner of the Cross Keys Inn David Grindley said: “We are thrilled to have raised such a significant amount for Cancer Research UK and The Alzheimer’s Society, both of whom provide invaluable support to patients locally in Somerset and beyond.
Invaluable support
He said. “The fun-filled weekend from 30 August to 1 September was a tremendous success, the charity sum raised over our 11 years to September now totals a massive £35,100 and I sincerely thank our staff, locals, and sponsors for their incredible efforts.”
Throughout the event, cheques were presented to representatives from both charities and guests enjoyed live music from guitarist James Hollingsworth. The Cross Key’s ethos is centred around supporting vital causes in the community and taking active involvement in supporting fundraising initiatives.
Speaking on the current climate of the hospitality industry and why he believes pubs are important in society, David Grindley told The Morning Advertiser (MA): “Everyone is aware that pubs are going through a very difficult time at present.
"To me, pubs are the last bastion of the British way of life. One of the places where people and communities can get together in a relaxed atmosphere to socialise.” He continued: “No one ever mentions health benefits that pubs have, the importance of mixing with people, always very important with older people. Even more so now with younger people just communicating through computers as opposed to meeting face to face and learning how to deal with people.”
People make pubs
Grindley explained the importance of supporting charity organisations and fostering community involvement within pubs.
He told The MA: “The ethos behind raising money for charity was and is two fold, firstly and most obvious is to support predominantly local charities, although they often are a division of national ones.”
He added involving local community members in pub events and ensuring they felt “part of the pub” was key for him as an owner. Essentially, he said “they are the pub.”
“People make pubs” Grindley said. “Whenever we have an event such as our charity beer festival we have no end of volunteers from young to old. The pub also sponsors the local sports teams and events."
The operator shared an overview of this years fundraising event, stating: “This year has been more poignant than previously. As the two cheques were handed over by two locals who use the pub, a daughter, who lost her father to liver cancer in June and a wife who lost her husband in August to Alzheimer’s.”
Grindley revealed both families were well known and recognised in the local area and had also been regulars in the pub throughout the years. The operator highlighted over the last few years, The Cross Keys has, with an ongoing fundraiser, received sponsorship in order to create pub t-shirts, glasses and caps with all profits from the items going to the charity fund nominated on the shirts. Throughout the last two years, the charity of choice has been both Alzheimer’s and Mind Charities, with this year’s charity being Cancer Research.
