Volunteers from The Hesketh Arms in Churchtown Village in Southport are sleeping outside their pub tonight (Tuesday 2nd December 2025), as they raise funds to support homeless people this Christmas.
Around seven determined volunteers will be braving freezing temperatures to sleep outdoors to support the work being done by Social Bite.
Social Bite is a charity and social business which provides homes, jobs, food, and support to empower people experiencing homelessness to transform their own lives.
They believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home, that a job can be truly transformative for someone who has experienced homelessness, and that food is one of the most powerful tools to help signpost people to access support.
You can donate via their JustGiving page here: Hesketh Arms is fundraising for Social Bite
Hesketh Arms landlord Dave Langshaw said:
“I’m off to get a woolly hat and get altered up! It’s going to be cold tonight.
“But it’s for a really important cause that we all feel really passionate about, and we want to help raise as much funds and awareness as we can.
“We are very grateful to our customers who have supported us already.
“As the village pub for Churchtown, we’re always keen to do all we can to support those in our local community who are less fortunate than others.”
There are various ways in which people can lend their support.
Dave said: “Inside the pub, on our tables, we have cards with details of how customers can support the homeless this Christmas.
“If you come and dine with us, you’ll have the option of adding a donation onto the bill which could buy a hot drink for someone, or a meal, whatever you’d like to support.
“You can also donate via our JustGiving page.
“The Hesketh Arms is part of the Mitchell & Butler group of pubs. Last year the company said that if all the pubs collectively raised £1million for charity, then they would match that by donating a further £500,000.
“In the end the pubs raised £1.2 million, which saw £1.7 million donated to charity.
“This year each pub has been set a target to raise at least £500 in donations so we can either match or beat that target, which we’re hopefully on course to achieve.
“Any donation to support my fundraising would be greatly appreciated.”
The Hesketh Arms is also looking forward to installing its indoor Christmas tree tomorrow.
It will contain tags which will suggest presents that people could buy for local children who are less fortunate this Christmas.
The Hesketh Arms is working with local charity Home Start Southport and Formby, which will collect and distribute all presents bought for children at a special festive disco they are running later this December.
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