A Nottinghamshire pub at the heart of its community has scooped a national award. The Dog & Parrot in Eastwood triumphed, beating tough competition to win a Community Pub Hero Award.
The awards, organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, had more than 200 entries from ale houses across the country. It was actually pub-goer Glyn Hassell who won the award for his sterling support for the pub's fundraising and other endeavours helping the local community.
Glyn was unable to attend the awards ceremony at the House of Commons in London so pub owners Kathryn and David Boam attended on his behalf. As well as a trophy, they picked up £500 from awards sponsor Matthew Clark and PubAid to donate to a charity of their choosing.
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Glyn won the award for his incredible support for the Dog & Parrot, working with Kathryn and David to help them raise £45,000 for charities including the MS Society, RSPCA, Children's Air Ambulance and Combat Stress. Last year, he also became chairman of trustees for Durban House Community Hub, which will turn a disused building into a meeting place for local people of all ages - all while holding down a full-time job.
Kathryn Boam, licensee of the pub in Nottingham Road, said: "Glyn has helped us in so many ways; he arranges our charity events, manages our social media and has raised the profile of the pub. With his help, we've raised £45,000 for charity, which is huge for a small pub like ours. We've just completed our third annual ‘March for March' 10-mile walk in aid of Combat Stress, meaning we've now raised £7,000 for this charity, which supports veterans' mental health."
PubAid co-founder Des O'Flanagan said: "We received 200 entries for our awards, so reaching the final 15 was an achievement in itself and going on to take one of the top awards is a triumph. We're delighted with the recognition the awards give to all our finalists and winners, who are truly a force for good in their communities."
Alun Cairns MP, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: "We were delighted to receive 70 nominations from MPs, which shows how pubs are valued as hubs of charity and community support in constituencies across the country. Congratulations to Glyn at the Dog & Parrot on taking one of the top awards."
The Community Pub Hero Awards first ran in 2018, with entries and interest growing every year. The awards has two categories for pubs: Community Support Hero/Charity Fundraising Hero, and a Community Regular Hero where pubs nominate a supportive customer.
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