Wolston pub brings cheer to the elderly
The Rose & Crown in Wolston hosted a slap-up Sunday lunch for 14 guests of the Re-engage charity, which provides vital, life-enhancing social connections for older people in the area at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing.
The event was one of a series of similar lunches to mark ten years since HEINEKEN’s first Brewing Good Cheer2 campaign started in 2016, celebrating the role pubs across the country have played in helping to alleviate loneliness and bring communities together.
The Open Arms3 report by Loughborough University, co-commissioned by the campaign, highlighted the unique role pubs play in combating loneliness and social isolation. Some 64% of respondents said the pub was one of the main places they could go to socialise, with many finding that even a brief conversation in the pub could help alleviate feelings of solitude.
The Rose & Crown hosted the first of these anniversary lunches, bringing the spirit of Brewing Good Cheer to life in Wolston by welcoming local Re-engage guests for a meal and a chance to connect.
Publican Darren Guy said: “I was keen for The Rose & Crown to participate in the Brewing Good Cheer activity and felt it chimed well with the great work that Re-engage does and with our community focus. Pubs like ours play a vital role providing a safe welcoming place for people of all walks of life to come together. They are community meeting places. The dark winter months can be especially challenging for people living on their own. We all need to look out for our neighbours and fellow residents. It was lovely to treat our lunch guests, give them a reason to come out and to see everyone socialising and enjoying themselves.”
The lunch is the latest event undertaken by the Rose & Crown to help improve social connections. It has previously hosted an afternoon tea for Re-engage, and raised funds for loneliness awareness charity, Marmalade Trust, by undertaking a male staff leg wax challenge and a hosting a charity quiz.
Since taking on the management of the pub 10 years ago, Darren has transformed the pub into the beating heart of the community, supporting local groups. The local craft group and book club meet at the pub; older people have access to daytime bingo; and in the evening skittles and pools teams play.
In the last 10 years, The Rose & Crown and its regulars have together raised £95,000 for good causes. Next up, The Rose & Crown will be raising funds for the local football team with a five-week ticketed Winter Wonderland walk through the pub gardens starting on 19th November, open to all ages.