Burton-based pub company Punch Taverns has donated £250 to a voluntary group of street pastors as part of its Punch Community Promise initiative.
Punch made the £250 donation in April to the Lichfield Late Night Listeners – a group of 35 volunteers who help patrol the streets in Lichfield.
The Lichfield Late Night Listeners offers tea, coffee and a listening ear to pub and club goers in Lichfield on Friday and Saturday nights.
The funds covered the cost of new equipment for the group, such as jackets, chairs and flasks.
Rick Hill co-ordinator of the Lichfield Late Night Listeners group, who have just celebrated their third anniversary, explains: “Our priority is to provide a listening ear to all and we have been commended by Staffordshire Police in helping to reduce crime levels by 20 per cent by our calming presence.
“Lichfield Late Night Listeners is totally dependent on a core group of volunteers, donations, grants and fund raising activities. After three years of constant use, we found that our equipment was getting worn out.
“We are delighted that the donation from Punch has enabled us to upgrade our equipment and we can continue to carry out our service.”
Punch HR Director Jackie Burn who also heads up the Punch Community Promise, said: “As a Burton business, we are committed to causes in the community and we have donated over £2,000 to local groups and charities throughout the area since January.
“As an advocate of responsible retailing and drinking, we conceive initiatives like this as central to town centres to ensure an enjoyable late-night environment for all. The donation will benefit Lichfield Late Night Listeners so they can continue to comfortably perform this voluntary service.”
The Punch Community Promise involves Punch donating time and money to a variety of local causes such as charities, schools, sports clubs, welfare groups and hospitals. To qualify, charities or causes must be located within a 15-mile catchment area of Punch Taverns’ support centre in Burton.
To find out more about the Punch Community Promise and to make an application, please email: punchcommunitypromise@punchtaverns.com
Punch is a leading pub company in the UK with around 4,000 leased and tenanted pubs nationwide.
For more information about Lichfield Late Night Listeners, contact Rick Hill, Co-Ordinator on 07729 883 822 or visit http://www.sa-cni.org.uk/1/post/2013/10/welcome-to-lichfield-late-night-listeners.html.