BIG-HEARTED staff at a workingmen’s club are aiming to raise enough cash from an unusual competition to buy a new heart-start machine.
Fundraisers at Barnard Castle WMC are asking people to guess the number of ring pulls in two large bottles to raise money for a defibrillator to be mounted outside the club.
The impressive collection of the drinks can ring pulls was started by club regular Dave Richards during lockdown two years ago.
Other members added to the collection when pandemic restrictions relaxed.
The idea to use the ring pulls to raise cash for a heart-start machine came about following a conversation with club steward Tom Howe.
Mr Howe said: “We were going to give it to a local charity, but then we thought it would be a good idea to use the money raised to benefit the whole community.
“A defibrillator is something any one of us could need and it could save someone’s life here at the club or close by.”
He added: “We were looking at one that is about £750 and the club is sending out letters to different organisations to see if they will contribute as well, but the more entries we get in the competition the closer we’ll get to the target.”
Once the competition has been drawn the ring pulls are being donated to the Purple Community Fund, a charity that works with local communities providing education, health and nutrition programmes. The competition costs £1 to enter and will be drawn on Sunday, March 13.
The person with the closest guess to the number will win a cash prize and the money raised will go towards purchasing the defibrillator.
To supplement the money raised through the competition, club secretary Mick Lodge has started a five pence jar and is asking customers to pop in their spare coins as part of the fundraiser.
