The Guy Earl of Warwick pub in Welling, London, is investing £1,000 in community-focused initiatives after making it to the final six in the Community Hero category at this year’s Great British Pub Awards.
The historic pub, which has been under the ownership of Ray and Bonnie Irwin for the past three years, has become a beacon of support and unity in the local area – running fortnightly home education and social groups for kids, soup kitchens for the homeless and a weekly lunch club for the elderly, and even offering free ice cream for kids and dogs in the summer.
Highlights from the past year include the installation of eight anti-bleed control kits across the Bexley borough to help combat knife crime, as well as the addition of a community defibrillator.
The prize money from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners will be split between Darent Valley Hospital and the Woolwich Service Users Project, a Greenwich-based homelessness charity that provides hot meals, laundry facilities, haircuts, showers and access to a clothing bank.
Ray Irwin, Owner of Guy Earl of Warwick, said: “It’s been a great honour to have our pub’s community work recognised by the Great British Pub Awards. Our goal has always been to serve as the community’s cornerstone, and this acknowledgment reassures us that we are making a positive impact.
“We are grateful for the support from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, which enables us to continue to make a positive impact on our community. The prize money will go a long way in furthering our efforts to provide essential services and support to those in need.”
