Community landmark, the Foresters Arms in Swadlincote, has raised over £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support during its annual fundraiser for the charity this year. The pub’s efforts will contribute to Craft Union’s wider campaign to hit £1 million in charity fundraising across all its venues.

The pub pulled out all the stops, showcasing a live singer and leveraging its already popular ‘Beer Draw’ to engage customers in its latest fundraising initiative. The team drummed up a winning atmosphere in the pub with quick draw prizes of up to £1,000 using ‘Spin to Win’, ‘Chase the Ace’ and horse racing mini-games to keep everyone playing throughout the evening – all in the name of charity fundraising!

The team at the pub, including operator Barrie Stevenson, had also called in support from across the Swadlincote community to help them put together a range of exciting prizes to be raffled off. Treasures included a Morrisons food hamper, donations from local shops, and a grand prize of a signed England shirt for one lucky winner right in time for the Euros this summer.

“It was quite the night!” said Barrie. “The Beer Draw is something we run as a bit of fun for our customers regularly, but we really upped the ante with our charity version. It’s amazing how much more involved people get when there’s a charity initiative attached.

“It makes me very proud to run a pub with such a generous group of people who come in and support us day in and day out. Thanks to them, we can continue our support for Macmillan.”

Macmillan Cancer Support aims to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer, helping them to live life as fully as they can. Donations help the charity to support the 3 million people in the UK living with cancer and who count on the Macmillan team to support their physical, financial and emotional needs.

‘Make it a Million’ is an initiative from the Craft Union pub group that started after it managed to raise an incredible £800,000 for UK charities in 2023. This year, they’re taking a giant step forward and aiming to raise a million pounds for charity across its network of sites nationwide. The Forresters Arms is a well-loved part of the Craft Union family, and its fantastic fundraising efforts now and throughout the year will go towards the ‘Make it a Million’ charity fundraising goal.

Check out its Facebook page to learn about the upcoming events for the Forresters Arms.