A Flintshire pub has raised over £700 in one evening for a toddler group desperately needing new toy storage.
The Red Lion in Penyffordd held a Charity Race Night on Saturday, October 1, in aid of the Penyffordd Toddler Group.
The event was hosted by Landlord, Daniel Jones and the Bookie for the evening was Stephen Connolly.
The Toddler Group takes place at Penyffordd War Memorial Institute and is run by volunteers, carers and parents on a non-profit basis.
The toys for the group are currently stored in a shed outside of the Institute therefore in July the newly appointed Secretary Lorraine Walsh, Sue Lewis (treasurer) and Sarah Dobbin (chair) decided that was at the top of their priority list.
Lorraine said: "With winter just around the corner we are worried that not many toys will last the season.
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"We started a Go Fund page and asked the local villagers to get behind which they generously did and we raised £155.
"We were then approached by Steve Saxon at the Red Lion, Penyffordd and asked if we would like to hold a charity Race Night event evening. We were so grateful and accepted with open arms."
The Red Lion in Penyffordd regularly holds events for local groups and organisations.
Steve Saxton, operations director for Gastro Taverns, said: "Throughout lockdowns we spearheaded community fundraisers for the zoos at risk of closure, offered free cooked meals for NHS workers plus much more."
"Not always solo, we work very closely with TeamRED Volunteers and Penyffordd Area Community Association (PACA) to support whomever we can, whenever we can.
The event raised £700 for the toddler group and according to Mr Saxton the toddler group has also secured a match fund proposal from a bank.
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Mr Saxton believes pubs should strive to help out in the local community.
He said: "Pubs rely on their communities to support them, more so over the past three years than ever before, so it’s only right that the pubs support their local communities, individuals, groups and businesses as much as they can.
"In addition to supporting a good, local cause of course the pub benefits from an uplift of clientele for a handful of hours during the event. We support each other."
The Penyfordd Toddler Group is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9.15 am - 11.15 am) during term time and charge a small fee of £2 to help cover the running costs.
The group offer a chance for children to socialise from babies to pre-school age and for parents/carers to have a hot drink and a chat.
The sessions include craft activities, storytime, songs and lots of playtime in a safe and warm environment.
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