The Virgins & Castle pub in Kenilworth has raised £1,000 for Kenilworth Lions' 'Love a Duck' appeal and handed over the generously sized cheque today after six weeks of fundraising.

The Kenilworth Lions have had event after event cancelled in the last 18 months. Bad weather and then Covid-19 have reduced the charity's income significantly and they have been looking at creative ways to keep vital funds coming in.

Back in April, the charity announced their partnership with Kenilworth's oldest pub which is part of the Caviar & Chips Hospitality Group and Everard's brewery family.

As part of the fundraising activity, The Virgins & Castle had created an outdoor seating space as they were able to open for outdoor service from 12 April. Guests who dined in the new garden area added a £1 donation to their bill as they enjoyed their alfresco food and drink experience for the first time since pubs and restaurants were able to reopen again.

Co-founder of Caviar & Chips Jonathan Carter-Morris explained: "When government announced the news that pubs and restaurants could open again on 12 April, we wanted to reopen and carry on with the work we've being doing in our community.

"The impact of Covid-19 and the numerous lockdowns has had a huge impact on our business, but we know we're not the only ones to be affected by this. Great charities like the Kenilworth Lions do incredible work for groups and people in our area and we wanted to be able to support them to get back to what they do best."

As well as guest donations, the Virgins & Castle team made donations and the pub topped-up to make a grand total of £1,000.

Andy Lock, General Manager of the Virgins & Castle said: "I was so pleased with how our team got behind this fundraising initiative and I want to say a huge thank you to all of our guests who were incredibly generous with their donations. It's examples like this that show how fantastic our community is and when we all pull together, we can make great things happen."

Steve Luff, President of the Kenilworth Lions added: "It's my last month as president and what a great way to sign-off with not only a very generous donation, but what will be the start of a brilliant partnership with a local business.

"The Virgins & Castle are set out to be a real gem in our community and I'm thrilled to hand this exciting relationship over to our incoming President Rob Sullivan in July."

The Virgins & Castle is continuing its fundraising efforts with the Kenilworth Lions and have committed to raising the next £1,000 over the summer.

You can book your table and enjoy table service with their freshly prepared menu and great range of drinks. To find out more and how to book a table and support the Kenilworth Lions, visit their website or call the pub on 01926 853 737.