A local pub in Woodthorpe has been praised for the work it does for charity after raising over £2k for a local foodbank.
Many of our readers will know The Vale Hotel as a core part of the history of Woodthorpe and the proud brewing history in the area. It is a Grade II Listed building, designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt and built in the 1930’s as a Home Ales Brewery hotel, and then extended in the 1960’s.
Now a public house, the popular local pub runs a charity quiz every Thursday night as part of their fundraising campaigns for local charities.
Phil and Jill Lofthouse, who run the charity quiz at The Vale have been regulars at the pub for over 15 years, and they restarted the quizzes at The Vale post covid.
Phil said: “It was your (Jill’s) brother who got us to come down 15 years ago, and we’ve been coming ever since.
“However when covid relaxed, there was a gap and nobody was going to do the quizzes.”
Jill continued: “So we started the Sunday quizzes, but we wanted to do something for the community, and the charity quiz on a Thursday started at the back end of last year. 15 September 2022 it was.
“We’ve since raised over £2k. We’ve also had seven guest charity nights which have gone to their own charities. We’re open to guest quizzes once a month.”
Amongst the guest evenings there have been a few nights to raise money for Ukrainian refugees, which Phil says have been well attended.
And Phil says they have a simple philosophy to help them raise money: “If you can come in for one pint, you can afford an extra pint for charity.”
Jill added further: “If you’ve got any spare change, put it in the bucket. Every penny counts.”
The Arnold Foodbank, at Daybrook Baptist Church, a few doors away from the Vale is the primary benefactor of the quiz night and Helen Lloyd, manager of the Arnold Foodbank, said: “Foodbanks exist because local people came together to create a safety net for our society’s most vulnerable. The fundraising being done on a regular basis by the fantastic team at The Vale is a perfect example of the community coming together to help our most vulnerable service users.
“We’re really grateful for their support.”
As the cost of living crisis worsens, 1 in 5 people in the UK are now below the poverty line, and the same effects are being reciprocated in our borough. The foodbank in Arnold is part of the wider Trussell Trust, who work to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
Arnold Foodbank details
Daybrook Baptist Church,
Mansfield Road,
Nottingham
NG5 6AA
Opening times – for referrals and donations
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1.30pm – 3.00pm
Donations can be dropped off between 12pm and 3pm
Contact details –
e: info@arnold.foodbank.org.uk
Further information including contact details for the Vale Hotel can be found on their facebook page here or via their website www.thevalewoodthorpe.co.uk
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