Wolverhampton pub named as finalist in national pub awards
A pub in Chapel Ash has been shortlisted for a national pub industry award.
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The Royal Oak, in Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton, has been shortlisted in the prestigious PubAid's Community Pub Hero Awards after being nominated by manager Terry Cole in the Community Fundraising Hero England category.
The Community Fundraising Hero England Award recognises pubs who support charities and other good causes through fundraising.
The awards recognise not just how much money is raised for good causes, but how the money is used.
The pub was shortlisted for its contributions to Midlands Freewheelers, where they raised over £13,000 for the group in 2024.
The money helped the Blood Bikers to maintain their fleet of 10 bikes and three cars.
The judges for the category were impressed by the 'unusual' way to raise money when they set up a challenge to virtually walk from Land's End to John O'Groats, tracking the miles they travelled.
Mr Cole, manager of the pub, said: "We are absolutely thrilled that we’ve been named a finalist in the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards.
"It’s a real honour to be recognised for the work we do in our local community, and it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from everyone who gets involved in our events and fundraising.
"A huge thank you to our fantastic customers and community—we’re proud to be making a difference together."
The winners of the categories will be announced at an award ceremony, sponsored by Matthew Clarke, at the Houses of Parliament on March 4, and all shortlisted pubs will be invited to attend along with industry leaders and MPs.
Des O'Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, said: "We launched these awards to celebrate the great work that pubs do for their community.
"The Royal Oak is a perfect example of how pubs support and are a hub for many people in their community.
"The awards are in their fifth year and the volume of entries this year was staggering. What clearly came across from reading all the entries is that there are so many publicans who are doing amazing work nationwide.
"It was very hard to get to a shortlist so even getting to the finals is an amazing accolade for The Royal Oak."
Three other pubs, The Swan in Thornbury, the Nags Head in Dunstable, and The Dam Inn in Wakefield, have also been shortlisted in the highly-competitive category.
