Lakeside Inn pub give back to the community by raising £750 in special Christmas present to local charity Hebburn Helps

The Lakeside Inn in Jarrow held a charitable drive weekend which included a Christmas Market opened by Paralympic gold medallist Josef Craig and a Santa Crusade going from the pub to the Greyhound in Hedworth Lane.

The fundraising was part of an effort to help those who are less fortunate at Christmas time and give something back to the community.

Lakeside Inn manager Carl Mowatt was delighted by the response by the community and the money raised.

He said: “It was a great thing to be involved in.

“We’ll hopefully make it an annual event and it’s great to help people not so fortunate.”

As well as raising £750, residents also provided a number of food donations to further support those struggling at this time of year.

The Lakeside’s Christmas market featured over 50 stalls of Christmas-themed festivities including trees, decorations and locally made gifts.

Paralympian Josef Craig was keen to be involved with the event and contribute to helping a charity like Hebburn Helps.

He said: “Hebburn Helps does loads of good work for people in the area and the money being raised for them is a fantastic cause.”

Hebburn Helps Community Food Bank and Crisis Response Team helping local families and will be presented with the money and food donations later this week.

The Voluntary Community Organisation was set up to help families who are finding it hard and are struggling to make ends meet.

It provide food parcels, adults clothing, kids clothing, baby equipment, toys, household items and more.

On the same weekend, Carl also raised £500 for Myeloma UK by taking on one of the region’s most grueling sporting events.

The pub manager completed the 55-mile Montane Cheviot Goat Winter Ultra Run in the Cheviots in Northumberland, braving the range’s highest peaks in bleak weather conditions.

Carl chose to run for Myeloma UK after being touched with how his brother-in-law Mark deals with having the disease.