Newhaven pub brings good cheer to those at risk of isolation

A group of people from Big Hearts
Community Trust, the charity of Heart of Midlothian Football Club, got into the
Christmas spirit earlier this week at the Old Chain Pier pub in Newhaven, as
part of Heineken’s Brewing Good Cheer campaign.  

The campaign, now in its fourth year,
celebrates the important role pubs play in communities by bringing people
together for a festive event, in particular those who may be alone or unable to
visit their local. Pubs who take part in the campaign host free events such as
Christmas lunches, coffee mornings or even a mince pie and a pint for local
charities and community groups.

A group from Big Hearts Community
Trust, joined Calum McKay from the Old Chain Pier and his staff for lunch from
their new festive menu, as well as Christmas music, which got people in the
festive spirit. 

Kirsty Roebuck, Projects Officer at
Big Hearts, comments: “We are delighted
to have been invited to be part of the Brewing Good Cheer, a fantastic initiative
which is very close to our hearts and to our own ambitions during the festive
season Calum and his team gave our group a very warm welcome and everyone
thoroughly enjoyed spending some time together whilst enjoying a delicious
lunch with such amazing views.”

Calum McKay who runs the Old Chain
Pier said: “It’s such a great idea to
engage local folks who might be having a bit of a ‘quiet one’ this year. 
Loneliness can affect everyone from time to time and a bit of good food and
festive cheer can go a long way to lifting the spirits. We’re used to hosting a
range of different events for local people and initiatives like Brewing Good Cheer are brilliant
for helping to combat loneliness, particularly at Christmas, which is why we
were keen to take part.”

Lawson
Mountstevens, Managing Director for Star Pubs & Bars, Heineken UK said: “The Great British pub is at the heart of
communities up and down the country. It’s a place where people from all walks
of life can come together to meet old friends and make new ones.

“We’re delighted to be working with more of our pub
licensees than ever for the fourth year of Brewing Good Cheer. In that time,
we’ve worked with hundreds of pubs and brought together thousands of people,
reminding and inspiring people to use their local. We want to bring people
together, to show them exactly what our great pubs have to offer, not just at
Christmas time but all year long.” 

The Big Hearts Community Trust is a registered charity which uses the power of football to change the lives of the most vulnerable in the community.  With its main focus being to support individuals and families at risk of social isolation who need help the most, it works closely with the Club, local partners and charities across Edinburgh to identify needs in order to build and deliver targeted programmes of support for these people. If you would like further information about the excellent work the charity does in the community or if you want to get involved, please the visit the Big Hearts website here.