The Logan Rock Inn, in Treen, near Penzance, has been named as the first-ever Charity Fundraising Pub of the Year.
Licensees Anita & Peter George collected the winner’s trophy at a celebration held at the House of Commons. The new award, organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and sponsored by Magners cider, attracted entries from pubs across the country, all of them raising impressive amounts of money for local and national charities, and playing a vital role at the heart of their local communities.
The Logan Rock has been supporting charities ever since Anita & Peter took over at the 16th century, St Austell pub 35 years ago. Sponsored cycle rides along the Cornish coast, regular quizzes and auctions have raised money for local charities and causes including St Levan Church and Sports Club, Cornwall Blood Bikes and Macmillan, to name just a few. A welly boot throwing competition held at the Logan Rock every Boxing Day supports Sennen Cove lifeboat station, while the pub also hosts visits from underprivileged children from London, delivers newspapers to Treen’s elderly residents and organises a local litter pick.
Licensee at the Logan Rock, Anita George, said, “We’re delighted to have won this award and grateful to our fantastic team of staff and customers, who have given whole-hearted support to our fundraising efforts over the years. As a community pub, we’ve always felt we have a duty to help our local community, and it’s wonderful to have our efforts recognised in this way.”
Co-founder of PubAid, Des O’Flanagan said, “It’s hard to think of a way of fundraising that the Logan Rock hasn’t tried! Anita & Peter and their team are both creative and tireless in their support for charities, and the list of worthy causes and local groups who have benefited is long and varied.
“Sixty-nine pubs entered these awards and we were enormously impressed by the quality of entries. Picking just eight finalists and then a winner was a real challenge for the judges, as we had so many excellent pubs to choose from.
“Many congratulations to the Logan Rock for becoming our first Charity Fundraising Pub of the Year, and our thanks to Magners Cider for their support, which made these awards possible.”
Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said “The Logan Rock’s determination to make a difference to charities of all sizes makes them worthy winners of our award. UK pubs raise over £100 million for charity every year, thanks to the enthusiasm, imagination and hard work shown by thousands of licensees, their teams and their customers across the country.
“We’re delighted that these awards have recognised the UK’s top fundraising pubs and highlighted the important role that so many pubs play at the heart of our communities.”
The presentation to Anita & Peter was made in the House of Commons in front of other shortlisted licensees, MPs and individuals from PubAid and the wider industry. The other pubs on the shortlist, who all received a certificate at the presentation, were:
- The Barrels, Hereford
- The Swan, Thornbury, Bristol
- The Crown, Radnage, Buckinghamshire
- The Well Parc Hotel, Trevone, Padstow
- The New Inn, Enderby, Leicester
- The Cabbage Patch, Twickenham
- The Lord Nelson, Urmston, Manchester
Captions to attached image:
Logan Rock (l-r): Derek Thomas, MP for St Ives; Peter George of the Logan Rock; Mike Wood MP; Anita George and Piers Thompson of St Austell Brewery
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Notes to editors
The Logan Rock in the village of Treen, just off the Cornish coastal path near Penzance, is owned by St Austell Brewery. The pub has twice been named St Austell’s ‘Community Pub of the Year’ and landlady Anita George has received an MBE for her services to charities and the local community.
PubAid is a working party created in 2009 to highlight the work done by UK pubs for charity, sharing the message that UK pubs raise over £100m per year.
PubAid runs the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz, now in its third year. 2,200 pubs took part this year, raising money for charity Prostate Cancer UK as well as other charities and causes.
The PubAid working party is led by co-founder Des O’Flanagan, and includes a number of well-known figures from the pub world, who lend their time and other resources to help spread the positive messages about pubs’ role at the heart of their communities.
The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group was set up in 1993 and has a membership of over 350 MPs and Peers. The Beer Group’s objectives are to broaden recognition of the enormous contribution of brewing and pubs to the UK economy from grain to glass – and to celebrate the unique role that beer and pubs play in our society.
For further information:
For PubAid: Ros Shiel at ros@shielporter.com / 07841 694137
For APPBG: Paul Hegarty at paul@beergroup.co.uk or 07808 096250