‘Immensely proud’ - South Shields pub regulars help give under privileged children gifts this Christmas
A South Shields pub has helped give teenagers in a Christmas to remember.
Staff and regulars at the New Lookout pub, on Fort Street, in South Shields, have worked together to donate Christmas gifts to under privileged children in South Tyneside.
Now becoming a yearly tradition organised by regulars Dave Wood and Julie Angell, alongside landlords Michael and Jan, thousands of pounds worth of gifts are donated to South Tyneside Council’s Child Service Team for them to be distributed to those who need them most.
Each year the donations are raised through the regulars at the pub pushing things like raffles and blind cards, as well as people from the local community coming in and dropping off gifts.
Cllr Jay Potts, the Mayor of South Tyneside, went along to the historic South Shields pub to thank everyone for their efforts on behalf of South Tyneside Council on Thursday, December 11.
Dave has expressed his gratitude to everyone who has helped with this year’s gift collection and highlighted what a local pub can do when everyone pulls together.
He said: “When done it for several years now because we really feel for the kids that don’t get much for Christmas.
“I always had a fantastic Christmas and I think that everyone should have something.
“We know that when people do collections like this, it is normally for young children so we aim for teenagers and over.
“The regulars here have been doing blind cards, Proinvestment Properties gave us a massive donation and myself and Julie have been contributing quite a bit.
“I’m immensely proud of what everyone has achieved and it just shows what a local pub working alongside the community and businesses can achieve.
“Even in times where money is tight, people are still willing to help - I really appreciate everything that everyone does to help this.
“From Michael and Jan, the landlords, the four lasses on the bar who always push the cards and to people dropping coming to the people just to drop stuff off, everyone is just fantastic.”