The Castle pub festival and sponsored silence in Cold Ash raises money for colleague’s CAMPS International Borneo trip

A Cold Ash woman’s sponsored silence has raised hundreds of pounds.

Katy Crawford went mute for a whole day during her shift at The Castle Pub in aid of her 16-year-old colleague’s Borneo expedition.

She raised £600 which will go towards her colleague Clara Stafford’s planned expedition.

Miss Crawford – who has been working at the pub for around seven months – said: “£600 is way more than I thought I’d get. We really hope this helps Clara with the funds she has to raise.”

She said, being a chatty person, that the challenge was a huge task especially as she chose a pub shift as the time to do it.

Miss Crawford – who moved from Yorkshire to Cold Ash with her dog Zeus specifically for this job – added: “I had seen the idea of a sponsored silence in Costa [Coffee] and I thought I could do that.”

Miss Crawford said she and landlords Paul Jagger and Mary Knight wanted to help when they heard of Clara’s trip.

“Clara works at the back,” she added.

“So her hard work doesn’t always get seen.

“It was quite challenging but I was determined to do it for her as this is an opportunity of a lifetime for Clara, one I wish I had at that age.”

There is no fundraising link online but those keen to donate can pop down to The Castle to make a contribution.

Miss Stafford said: “I want to step out of my comfort zone [in Borneo] and do something that I know will help me come out of my shell a bit more and improve my confidence.

“And I know it will be a really great experience being able to help people from a different side of the world.

“I am really grateful as I didn’t ask her [Katy] to do this, she volunteered and it was a really, really kind thing for her to do.

“I am really happy that my colleagues are all supporting me.”

The Castle also held a Cider and Sausage festival in aid of the trip.

They enjoyed live music throughout the day and a hog roast in the evening.

The event, which also featured a ‘mega raffle’ for which local businesses provided prizes, raised £1,024 for Carla.

Miss Stafford said: “I am both excited and scared in equal measure about my trip but I am determined to make the most of it.

“I know there will be challenges along the way but I think it will be excellent for building resilience for personal growth.”

The Castle has thanked everyone who attended its festival and to the acts who not only performed but donated a part of their fee to the cause.