The team at Slug and Lettuce in Colchester are taking to the treadmill this week with the aim of raising at least £1000 for the armed forces charity, Help for Heroes. The fundraising week will culminate on Saturday 2nd March with an armed forces fancy dress party where the team at Slug and Lettuce will be dressing up and hope customers will get into the spirit too.

Starting at 10am on Tuesday 26th February and finishing at 11 pm on Friday 1st March, the team will be using a treadmill kindly donated by ‘The Gym’ which is situated on Queen Street, to put in as many miles as they can in order to beat their fundraising target.

Andy Lonergan, general manager of the Slug and Lettuce explains: “The team and I will attempt to make sure that a member of the Slug and Lettuce team will be on the treadmill at all times when the pub is open. The team are doing the challenge in hour-long sessions but if anyone feels they can go the extra few miles after their allotted hour, then that’s fantastic.

“We’re looking to raise at least £1000 for Help for Heroes. As we all know, Colchester has such strong links with the armed forces and their families, so we really hope to beat that target. There will be a bucket on the treadmill where people can donate and drop in a few pounds. We’ll also have collection boxes placed around the bar and hope that customers will drop in their loose change after buying a round, helping to boost the fund.

“We are also selling raffle tickets for a number of fantastic prizes which have been donated by local businesses and companies. The generosity that they have shown has been is amazing. For example, Colchester United have gifted a tour around the new stadium and the chance to be a journalist for the day. The Gym has donated two memberships for a year, A12 Go Karting has giving us 2 Go-Kart experiences, Rollerworld has donated a quasar session for up to 22 people and First Site Gallery has donated two tickets for one of their exhibitions.

“We’re also selling cupcakes to raise money for Help for Heroes and they’ve been made by local patisserie, The Cake Story on Priory Walk, who decorated them using the Help for Heroes colours. They have also made a lovely cake for the raffle too.

“Raffle tickets have been selling really well and we hope that people will pop in a buy a strip or two. It’s £3 for a strip of five or £1 each. We’ll be drawing the prizes on Sunday 3rd March so there’s plenty of time to come visit the Slug and Lettuce and buy a ticket and raise money for what is a truly fantastic cause.”

Along with this week’s activity, three of the team will be raising money for Help for Heroes as they run the Colchester half marathon which takes place on Sunday 17th March.

Each of the seventy-one Slug and Lettuce bars up and down the country will be hosting its own fundraising event or challenge for Help for Heroes over the course of the next few weeks.

“Our bars are fantastic supporters of charity and for many of them, they have a special local cause close to their hearts”, said Nicola Stuart, Slug and Lettuce’s Brand Development Manager, “But every year, for one month, all the bars come together and choose a single charity to fundraise for. For the second year in a row our mangers have chosen Help for Heroes. Last year we raised just over £21,000 and hope that this year we can beat that target.”