T he St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust has been supporting local charities, good causes, and individuals in need across the South West, since its launch in 2003.
To date, the Charitable Trust has raised more than £1,000,000 – and we’re determined to build on the success of its first 20 years, so that we can give back to our communities – from Land’s End to Bath. This has been made possible by fundraising contributions from the brewery, along with donations and money raised through fundraising events held by our head office, depot, pub teams, and free trade customers.
Notable Fundraisers
A great example of our fundraising within our pubs is our Fish and Chips offer. For every portion ordered, we donate 25p to the Charitable Trust. In 2022 we were able to donate £16,743 raised to Cornwall Air Ambulance. This year we are donating money raised from Fish and Chips to our Heart of the Community campaign – our mission to ensure we help our communities by fitting defibrillators onto 55 of our pubs that we have identified as to needing one.
In March 2023 – during Walk All Over Cancer Month – we raised £20,000 by completing a series of sponsored walks, in memory of our colleague and friend Jim Sloan who sadly passed away the year before. The money raised was equally split between Cancer Research UK and Only a Pavement Away – causes close to Jim’s heart.
Another one of our biggest fundraisers, since the Trust first launched, is the annual Celtic Beer Festival. Held in the brewery cellars, the event has so far generated more than £200,000. We’re excited to be staging it again in November 2023, after a break following the pandemic, and raising more money for our Charitable Trust.
We have seen a marked increase in requests and continue to think of ways to fundraise in order to help those in need in our communities.
Where the money goes
Every penny goes straight back to local communities, where it is needed most. In 2022, we donated more than £33,000 to important causes in our region, and are continuing to give generously in 2023.
We’re proud that the charities we work with are passionate about safeguarding the environment and the people in need across the South West and beyond. Examples of this include;
The Marine Conservation Society a UK charity campaigning for a cleaner, better-protected, healthier ocean. The charity tackles threats to habitats and species by working closely with communities, businesses, and governments, organising beach cleans and shaping government policy.
The Air Ambulances of Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset cover our West Country heartland. When every minute matters, air ambulances can be the difference between life and death. They rely on the public to fund lifesaving missions, so they can keep more families together.
Only a Pavement Away helps people facing or experiencing homelessness, prison leavers, and veterans, by placing them in long-term, stable employment in the hospitality industry. By 2024, the charity is aiming to create more than 700 jobs within the hospitality sector.
Other charities supported by the Trust include the RNLI, Children’s Hospice South West, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK, and many others.
More than a third of all money raised is donated to individuals and small local groups across the region. Over £8,920 was gifted to individual causes in 2022, and our committee meet on a regular basis to discuss these types of donations.
Financial assistance can vary from small local charities seeking funding to run groups or health support, to individuals seeking pieces of equipment like wheelchairs, all have transformed people’s lives.
Download our donation guidelines and how to make a request (pdfs).
Learn more about who we are and how to seek support for the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust by emailing us here.
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP
Every penny goes straight back to our local communities, where it's needed most. We're delighted to have raised over £1 million since we first launched the charitable trust and with every contribution, continue to focus our efforts to support our community.