More than 1,500 beer lovers raised a glass and a record breaking £13,638 for Dorset Mind at the Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) Dorset Beer Festival this summer.

Organised and hosted by the leading independent family-owned Dorset brewer, the eighth annual beer celebration saw donations surpass the previous total of £10,900. All proceeds are going directly to the local mental health and wellbeing charity.

Linda O’Sullivan, Dorset Mind CEO, said: “We’re extremely grateful to everyone that supported our charity partner’s festival. Held in our aid, this magnificent fundraising has come at a time where we’ve seen demand for our vital services rise – and so it will help us continue to support local people with 1-2-1 and group sessions, education and training across Dorset. Special thanks to Hall & Woodhouse for their continued support.”

Toby Heasman, Head Brewer at Hall & Woodhouse, added: “We are thrilled to have made such an impressive comeback after our two-year absence (due to the pandemic) and we were only able to achieve this through the loyalty and support of our local communities. Smashing our previous fundraising record is beyond what we predicted for this year’s target and we will raise a glass to thank everyone who attended and helped this become a reality.

“Being committed to enriching our communities from generation to generation puts our charitable activities at the very heart of business; we are well on our way to achieving our ambitious target of raising £1million each year by our 250th birthday in 2027.”

Since launching in 2013, the festival has raised more than £64,638 for local charities including the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Macmillan Cancer Support, Blandford Opportunity Group, Alzheimer’s Society, Teddy20 and Together for Short Lives.

At the festival, guests donated by purchasing H&W’s own Badger Beer and a further 50 different beers and ciders from a range of other local brewers including 8 Arch Brewing Co and Cranborne Chase Cider.