The Cross Keys, a community pub in Hull, is celebrating after raising £1,200 for mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) through a joint 700km walk.

During a recent four-week period, the pub’s football team, Cross Keys AFC, came together to complete a combined 700km worth of walking. All 22 players took part in this walk, accumulating an average of almost 32km travelled per person to raise money for the charity.

Reaching this goal, the group of 22 walked the final 5km through Hull, marking the finale of a fantastic achievement for the group as the community came together in the name of a great cause.

This monumental fundraising effort could not have been achieved without the generosity of the Hull community – many people in the area have personal connections to mental health charities and were eager to put their hand in their pocket for a great cause.

The total of £1,250 raised is anticipated to go a long way in supporting those struggling with their mental health.

But for Operator Andy Werra and his partner Kirsten Collinson, this cause is particularly close to home. They were inspired to raise money for CALM after the sad passing of Kirsten’s brother-in-law, Darren Benstead who took his own life in December 2023 after a long battle with his mental health.

To ensure that less people have to go through what Darren did, the couple continue to raise money through their pub’s charity work, with this latest effort taking the total amount of money raised for CALM to over £5,000 in the past 12 months – helping countless lives.

Many people in the area have been touched by Andy and Kirsten’s efforts, and the team at the Cross Keys understand just how important this cause is to everybody.

Operator Andy Werra said: “To see the community come together to support such an important cause was a heartwarming and prime example of what makes the Hull community so brilliant.

“Mental health affects a lot of us and funding for support services such as CALM is more vital than ever, and we knew our football team would be more than willing to get stuck in and complete a huge 700km of walking in honour of Darren.

“A huge thanks must go to everyone in the local community that has donated, we really can’t thank them enough. We have plenty more fundraising efforts to come in the coming months so watch this space!”

Located on Beverley Road, the popular pub plans to build on its success with continued fundraising events designed to engage and entertain the community, with DazFest taking place on July 12th in memory of Darren Benstead.

The annual charity fun day takes place this June and sees a day of games and fun with sponsored football matches, race nights, bingo, sponsored waxing and throwing water at people in stocks, all in the name of raising money to support those suffering with their mental health. To donate to this cause, you can support CALM by donating here.

For more information about upcoming events at the Cross Keys, visit its website https://www.craftunionpubs.com/cross-keys-hull