A popular Didsbury pub has raised thousands of pounds for a local children’s hospice and plans to continue with its generous support.

Customers and staff at The Fletcher Moss in Didsbury have raised over £5,000 this year for Francis House Children’s Hospice, also in Didsbury.

Manager of the Fletcher Moss, Martin Devlin, has been a keen supporter of Francis House since he became manager of the Hydes Brewery-owned pub, more than 12 years ago.

Martin estimates that over the years, around £30k has been raised to support the hospice and the work that it does in the community.

Fundraising activities include ticket sales from weekly quiz entries and Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve fundraising events. Fletcher Moss staff also sold knitted Easter bunnies and raffle tickets for hampers donated by Hydes earlier this year. Collecting tins are constantly on the bar for drinkers to pop their change in.

Big-hearted Martin also confronted his fear of heights, abseiling down the Trafford Centre to raise £1,400 for the cause.

Francis House provides appropriate respite and end of life care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses and the necessary support and short-term care for their families. It supports approximately 2,000 people at any one time with respite care, homecare, sibling support, end of life care and emotional and bereavement support.

Martin commented: “I like to support a local charity as you can see where the money is going and what a difference it makes. Francis House is a fantastic charity and my customers really do get behind supporting it by donating generously and getting involved with fundraising initiatives. It’s an important local charity and customers like to see their donations supporting the incredible and tireless work the team does there. We will continue to support Francis House and should be able to raise even more money for them by the end of the year with the festive fundraisers we already have planned. Hydes have always been very supportive of our fundraising efforts and have generously backed us all the way with donations and merchandise.”

Managing director of Hydes, Adam Mayers, said: “It’s great to see Martin and his dedicated team at the Fletcher Moss motivating customers to support such an important local cause. Supporting local charities is a crucial part of how Hydes pubs interact with their communities. It remains an activity that we have encouraged for years, working with individual pubs in their own communities and we will continue to do so moving forward.

“At Hydes, we fully recognise that pubs are an integral part of the communities they operate in and as they are often hubs for these communities, they must do everything they can to help deserving causes.”

Hydes, with its brewery in Media City, Salford, was formed in 1863 and supplies beers to wholesalers, pub companies and other brewers throughout the UK and a pub retailing estate of nearly 50 pubs across the North West of England and North Wales.