A Prestwich pub has helped to inspire more than 120 other venues to help the homeless this year.
The Red Lion on Bury New Road and the Fairway Inn, New Moston set up clothing collections to help rough sleepers.
The pubs' brewery Joseph Holt has now launched an appeal to help the homeless keep warm, working with charities Lifeshare and Barnabus to collect as many items as possible for those in need.
Alex Derbyshire, the landlady of the Red Lion, said that pubs play such an important role in helping those who are less fortunate.
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She said: “We already served free tea and coffee to people who were struggling – as a pub we could do that.
“So, extending that to collecting warm items for the homeless seemed such a natural step.”
Joseph Holt`s 127 pubs will act as collection points for “Helping the Homeless” donations which can include sleeping bags, coats, gloves and other warm clothing.
Paul Longmire, marketing manager at Joseph Holt, said: “As an independent, regional family brewer, Joseph Holt places the community at the heart of its charity activities.
“Thanks not least to the generosity of our customers.
“Now more than ever homeless charities need warm clothing and sleeping bags so we`re grateful for any donations of unwanted items in good condition that we can put to this vital use.”
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The appeal follows the success of the Joseph Holt School Uniform appeal which ran over the summer to help families who were struggling to buy clothing for their children.
Val Coyle, the landlady of the Fairway Inn, also helped to inspire the chain-wide appeal with their pub collecting donations before 2023.
She said: “It`s fantastic that this is happening across the entire Holt estate as we`ve had the most amazing response.
“Since December we`ve had 60 bags of donations so I`m thrilled so many other pubs will now be following suit.
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“A Joseph Holt pub is at the heart of the community so I know my colleagues will all be so keen to help.”
Val added that donations have come from far and wide, extending beyond those who are regulars at the pub.
She said: “One lady had never even been in before, yet sent us 25 pairs of brand-new gloves.
“We`ve even had people who have come into the pub to book funeral wakes in our function room and at the same time bring in the bereaved` s clothes.
“They felt so strongly these items must go to help others.
“I just feel this is such an important time to do this.
“So many people get new clothes for Christmas and may well be doing a clear out of their older stuff. So much of this can go to waste.
“It`s just important to put it to good use.”
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