Hartlepool Rugby club beer festival raises thousands for town's hospice

Hartlepool Rugby Club’s Annual Hootenanny and Beer Festival was cancelled in last year due to Covid restrictions.

Now, however, the annual event has returned and proved a sell-out at the club’s Mayfield Park, attracting more than 900 people.

The event featured live music all day from Fizzy Fish, Pek & Wanley, Dan Donnelly, Dig the Old Breed, Chris Don and DJ Fake Charles.

In addition to ticket and beer sales, fundraising on the day included a raffle for beer hampers donated by Camerons Brewery and 18 of the beer barrels were sponsored by local businesses, families and members of the club.

Greg Hildreth, from Alice House, said “It was the most well attended and successful beer festival so far. It was great to be back after missing last year’s event and so good to see so many people having a great time and supporting local hospice patients.

“Our thanks go to all the businesses who supported the event and everyone who bought tickets, sponsored or volunteered and of course everyone from Hartlepool Rugby Club, whose support, as always, was tremendous.

Liam Lester, from the rugby club, said: “The club has a long standing relationship with Alice House and have worked together very successfully for many years.

"The beer fest has now become a flagship event which brings both of our organisations together as well as hundreds of local people raising money for a fantastic cause.”

Alice House Hospice, based in Wells Avenue, is a registered charity offering specialist palliative care, counselling and support to hundreds of adults from Hartlepool and East Durham each year.

It costs £3.5m a year to continue providing the current range of services with Alice House only receiving 20% of this sum in Government funding.

The remaining £2.8m must be raised in the local community and other fundraising initiatives.

Next year’s beer festival is already booked for Sunday, August 28, and is expected to sell out again.

A limited number of early bird tickets are available, still at the 2021 price of £15 per ticket, and can be pre-booked at www.alicehousehospice.co.uk/hoot22