DESPITE only being behind the bar for four months, landlady Kathy Bond has encouraged her punters to raise almost £6,000 for local charities.

Since taking over behind the bar at Arkell’s Moonrakers in January, she has already helped raise thousands of pounds for charities.

Kathy – who is new to being a pub landlady – started relatively small, with a St Patrick’s Day raffle and bric-a-brac staff raising much-needed funds for Swindon’s Animal Sanctuary.

Thinking a little bigger, she agreed to host an Affected by Cancer quiz which raised around £1,500.

Last month she hosted an Arkell’s Brewery sponsored Prospect Sporting Dinner which raised in the region of £4,000 for the hospice at Wroughton.

She said: “We were really proud of that event. Arkell’s donated the food, we donated the function room and helped promote it, and it was a really fantastic evening.

“It seems to me that people are willing to donate lots of money to very worthy causes across the other side of the world, but sometimes the people and animals suffering close to home can be overlooked – especially in these harsh economic times.

“In my small way I want to help them. It’s a lot of work but it’s definitely worthwhile and it does boost the local community spirit around the pub.”

Kathy’s holding her next event on Bank Holiday Monday from noon to 7pm when she hopes the pub car park will fill with families enjoying bouncy castles, slides, a ‘pillow bash’ and lots of village-fete style stalls, including her famous bric-a-brac stall.

This time it is in aid of Riding for the Disabled and Swindon and District Animal Haven.

Brewery director George Arkell said: “She throws all her energy into making these events a success “It’s great to see how much fun people can have whilst contributing to such good, local causes.”