Red Mist Leisure, Surrey’s & Hampshire’s best loved independently run pub company, where the focus is on fresh, seasonal and locally sourced food and drink and supporting its local community through fundraising initiatives, has raised an impressive £14,000 in just ten days for local charities with a Marathon Walk (The Red Mist Ramblers) and an impressive music festival hosted at one of its pubs (CherryFest).
Red Mist Ramblers
Every year Red Mist Leisure challenges itself to undertake a sport fundraising event which in the past has included running half marathons. This year a team of approximately 40 Red Mist Leisure staff, suppliers, customers and friends rambled 26 miles over the footpaths of the Surrey Hills from The Queens Head in East Clandon to the Wheatsheaf in Farnham, raising £7,000 for two of the brilliant local charities it supports; Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care (the only Hospice Care service for terminally ill adults and their families across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire)and Disability Challengers, a registered children’s charity, established in 1979, dedicated to providing exciting and challenging play and leisure opportunities to disabled children and young people. A significant benefit of their services is providing families with short-breaks during high pressure times e.g. at the weekend or during the school holidays, enabling them to do ‘ordinary’ activities such as working or spending time with their other children.
CherryFest
Then only a week later, The Duke Of Cambridge Pub in Tilford hosted its 8th annual CherryFest, Surrey’s legendary charity music festival and great family day out with all money raised on entry to the festival, face painting , raffle and sales of its specially brewed CherryFest Ale being donated to Cherry Trees, a home from home short break / respite care for children and young people aged 0-19 with a range of disabilities including learning, physical and sensory impairments. Set in the peaceful village of East Clandon, near Guildford where Red Mist Leisure has another pub, The Queen’s Head, Cherry Trees has become a lifeline for many families, children and young people who are regularly cared for there, whether it be after school for a few hours, a weekend or even a couple of weeks stay.
Mark Robson, MD of Red Mist leisure said ” Last year Red Mist Leisure raised £24,000 for local charities and we’re on a crusade through various initiatives to beat this in 2016. Were blown away by people’s generosity for two fantastic annual events in Red Mist Leisure’s fundraising calendar. In terms of CherryFest. what started off 8 years ago as a one off event with a few bands and a hog roast to raise money for their new kitchen has gone from strength to strength with tremendous support from fantastic local bands and a community that comes together rain or shine to keep raising money for such a great cause. This year we beat out previous record of last year by £1500 and our Red Mist Ramble exceeded last year’s fundraising challenge by £1000. We’ve already started planning CherryFest 2017 and The 2017 sporting challenge has not yet been finalised but the Three Peaks have been mentioned.”