A VILLAGE pub has given a charity a new year boost by raising money for its work throughout the festive period.

The Bull in Ditchling has donated £5,000 to Albion In The Community, the football club’s official charity.

It will use the cash to fund its vital work in the area.

The donation was made possible by a string of fundraising initiatives at the pub.

It takes the total raised for Albion In The Community by The Bull and its customers to more than £10,000 following a similar-sized donation last year.

Throughout December customers were encouraged to add a £2 donation to every food bill, while all proceeds from The Bull’s popular New Year’s Eve party went directly to AITC.

A community carol night with pupils from Downlands Community School in Hassocks and a meet the legends evening with former Albion stars Guy Butters and Danny Cullip also contributed to the £5,000 total. The Bull has also previously taken part in the charity’s annual Blue and White Day fundraiser.

The pub has now been supporting AITC since 2018. The charity provides opportunities to “improve the health and wellbeing, education and aspirations of our community” through the power of football.

Supporting local good causes is something The Bull has embraced since current owner Dominic Worrall took over in 2003; in fact, the pub has now raised more than £70,000 for charity.

Mr Worrall was full of praise for The Bull’s customers. He said: “Our customers have been incredibly generous throughout the festive period and everyone at The Bull takes an enormous amount of pride in having raised more than £5,000 for such a brilliant charity.

“Albion in the Community does some extraordinary work in the local area and it is fantastic to be able to continue to support it in this way.”

Lynsay Josephy, Albion in the Community’s corporate fundraising executive, was delighted with the donation. She said: “Much of our work is only possible as a result of the generosity of our supporters and the dedication of our fundraisers, so to receive £5,000 from The Bull really is a fantastic start to 2020.

“Our thanks go to Dominic and everyone else connected with The Bull. The money raised by The Bull since 2018 has had a genuine impact on many of the local people we work with, and this recent donation will be put to similarly-good use.”

For more information on how businesses can support Albion in the Community, including the charity’s forthcoming Blue and White Day fundraising event on Friday 27 March, email: fundraising@albioninthecommunity.org.uk.

For more information on The Bull, please visit: www.thebullditchling.com.