Pub gears up for charity party with a difference

2:08pm Friday 15th August 2008

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BIG kids are invited to a birthday bash at a York pub in aid of The Press’s Guardian Angels Appeal.

Customers at the Artful Dodger, in Micklegate, will have the chance to join in games of pass the parcel and musical chairs on Sunday.

But there will be no children in sight at this kids’ party, with party-goers tucking into bowls of vodka – not strawberry – jelly.

Marc Allinson, who took over the pub three years ago, said: “It’s going to be a three-year-old’s party, but for adults.

“We’ll be playing things like the pass the parcel, lucky dip and musical chairs – but the prizes definitely won’t be appropriate for children and we’ll be having vodka jelly and ice cream, not strawberry jelly.”

Minster FM will be broadcasting live from the pub between 10am and 2pm, and collection buckets will be rattled for our Guardian Angels Appeal.

The appeal, which is just £20,000 short of its £300,000 target, aims to fund a state-of-the-art high- dependency unit at York Hospital to care the city’s sickest children.

It will mean many more youngsters can be treated in York rather than having to be transferred further afield to cities like Leeds, Hull and Sheffield.

These children could be suffering from illnesses including meningitis, breathing difficulties, obstructions of the voice box, severe asthma, bronchiolitis, convulsions, coma and physical injury.

Marc said: “We wanted to do it for a local charity and the Guardian Angels Appeal seemed perfect – everybody wants to see their local hospital have the best facilities possible.

“We’re going to be holding a raffle for the appeal and there will be collection buckets out on the counter.”

He added: “The last three years have been an awful lot of hard work.

“When I took over, the pub didn’t have a very good reputation and it’s taken at least two of the years to get rid of that reputation.

“We’re a very chilled-out pub, with some nice cask ales and whiskies – we’re not part of the Micklegate run.”

If you are holding a fundraising event for our appeal, let us know about it and we can publicise it in The Press to make sure as many people as possible support your efforts.

Phone Nicola Fifield on 01904 653051 or email nicola.fifield@thepress.co.uk.

If you want to make a donation, send cheques or postal orders made out to The Press Guardian Angels appeal, to Guardian Angels, The Press, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.