Brixton Brewery has launched the first beer created to raise money for Age UK Lambeth, following a 233% growth in demand for its services over lockdown
Brixton Brewery has launched Generation Pale Ale – the first beer purpose-brewed to raise money for Age UK Lambeth, and bring people of all (legal drinking) ages back together after lockdown.
Following the news that Age UK Lambeth had experienced a surge in demand for the charity’s services from 21,000 people to 70,000 people over the past year – a growth of 233% – Brixton Brewery teamed up with the local charity to create Generation Pale Ale. The beer is a celebration of the older people who are as likely to enjoy a great night out in a pub with a pint as any young whippersnapper, with all proceeds going to Age UK’s vital services.
The beer name and vibrant design, featuring a shopping trolley/boom box for kickass grandmas and granddads, have been officially approved by Age UK Lambeth’s members.
A number of incredible older people will become heroes of the campaign celebrating the many faces (and ages) of beer drinkers. Among them are Peter Beaumont, 68, who was model scouted at 65, and has worked with Vivienne Westwood; Bruce Currie, 60, whose artistic prowess includes belly dancing in front of packed theatres, and Vidur Dindayal, 86, who would love nothing more than to pip Justin Bieber to top spot in the charts.
All proceeds from this limited edition brew will go towards funding schemes such as MYsocial, a calendar of over 60’s events that enables elderly people to connect with their local community, discover friendships and try new activities.
Another beneficiary of the fundraising campaign is the charity’s MYneighbour service, which pairs isolated older people with community volunteer helpers.
Founder of Brixton Brewery Xochitl Benjamin said: “We wanted to create a beer for everyone, that could bring together people of all ages after a long lockdown, and pay tribute to the generation that has helped make Brixton one of the most diverse, inclusive and friendly communities in the country. Brixton wouldn’t be what it is today without them. Every can sold supports long lives well lived in our community.”
The CEO of Age UK Lambeth Graham Gardiner also had positive words on the link-up. He said, “It is not every day we get asked if we would like to help create a new beer. We have nothing but praise for Brixton Brewery for bringing us on board, paying homage to our members and helping us to raise money to continue vital services for 70,000 people in Lambeth. We hope beer lovers fall in love with Generation Pale Ale and the wider campaign inspires more people to reach out to their elderly locals. There’s a wonderful story in everyone!”
The creation of Brixton Brewery’s Generation Pale Ale has been truly a community effort, with each ingredient donated to the brewery by Charles Faram Hop Merchants and Simpsons Malt to reduce costs and increase proceeds for Age UK Lambeth.
Generation Pale Ale (3.8%) is a sprightly pale ale crafted with modern British hops, Olicana® and Harlequin™. It’s packed full of flavour and all the wisdom of the ages. So as it says on the can: ring your gran, make a plan and let’s party like it’s 2019!
To purchase Generation Pale Ale in aid of Age UK Lambeth, visit the Brixton Brewery website or head to their taproom in the heart of Brixton. The beer costs £2.65, 6-pack £15, 12-pack £28, 24-pack £48
To follow the launch of Generation Pale Ale, including videos featuring stories from members of Age UK Lambeth, go to Brixton Brewery’s Instagram page.
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Website and Instagram links:
@brixtonbrewery
https://www.brixtonbrewery.com/product/generation-pale-ale/
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/lambeth/
@ageuklambeth
@ageuklambeth
https://en-gb.facebook.com/AgeUKLambeth/
About Brixton Brewery:
Brixton Brewery was started in 2013 by two local couples who wanted to put Brixton on the map for great beer. They infuse the flavour of Brixton into everything they do, with beers named after local landmarks, inspired by the flavours of its markets, and packaged in colourful cans that reference the exuberant batik fabrics sold there. Their beers are bold, modern and perfectly balanced for easy-drinking. GET A TASTE OF BRIXTON www.brixtonbrewery.com @brixtonbrewery
About Age UK Lambeth:
Age UK Lambeth is an independent, local charity working to support people in Lambeth aged over 55, as well as all adults over 18 who have a physical or mental illness or disability. We have a dual-strategy to meet the needs of the ageing population of Lambeth. We aim to provide care and support to those in need, to help them stay as independent as possible, whilst also providing services that shape our ageing society, by removing age barriers and challenging negative stereotypes of ageing.
Our services reflect these objectives. For example, we provide support by assisting older people with welfare benefits claims, housing issues, debt advice, transport and more. We run a Handy Fix service to ensure older people feel safe and secure in their homes. We run a befriending service called MYneighbour to tackle loneliness and social isolation, by pairing an older person with a volunteer who visits, calls or takes round a home cooked meal every week. We run a service called MYsocial, organising over 60 events a month to help older people remain independent, active and to tackle loneliness in our community. These events range from film nights, to poetry hour, to Zumba classes, and at least one third of them are provided free of charge. They enable our members to connect with their community, discover friendships and do things that make them happy.
Between the 1st April 2020, when the first lockdown began, and the 31st March 2021, Age UK Lambeth has had contact with over 70,000 clients. In the year prior, this number was 21,000. As a result of the pandemic, we experienced a 233% increase in demand for our services. Although this was a challenge, we did not shy away from it and we are incredibly proud of the support we provided to our community during the pandemic. For example, to tackle the rise in loneliness, we moved all of our MYsocial events online and hosted them for free via Zoom and our befriending volunteers had a weekly phone call with their client rather than an in person visit. If there is one positive result that we have taken from the past year, it’s that it has made Age UK Lambeth even more determined to tackle loneliness in our community, as many of our clients will continue to experience this long after lockdown has ended.
Age UK Lambeth has been helping older people in our community for over 70 years, and we plan to continue this work for 70 more. We are passionate about creating and implementing positive change in our local community and believe that every individual deserves to live a happy, healthy and independent life .
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Press release from Cow PR on behalf of Brixton Brewery
For more information, to request an interview or a free sample of Generation Pale Ale, please contact the team on brixton@cowpr.com.