A city pub has raised ten times more than expected for a local charity that helps young people experiencing homelessness.

Housed in a former bank, The Old Joint Stock Pub and Theatre set out to raise a respectable hundred-pound donation from their series of candlelight concerts last month. But thanks to generous donations from patrons, the pub raised over £600, which their owners Fuller’s have rounded up to an impressive £1,000 – meaning the team have raised ten times the amount they’d hoped for.

The money raised will go to St Basils, a charity that supports young people who find themselves homeless – or fear they will be soon. Each year, they support over 4,000 across the West Midlands with accommodation, guidance, and employability skills to ensure young people can go on to live independently. The charity also runs the Birmingham Youth Hub in Digbeth, which provides a single point of access for 16–25-year-olds in the city who need accommodation and support services.

Carlton Sealy, manager of The Old Joint Stock, said: “We are delighted to have raised this money for St Basils – a local charity that does great work and is close to the hearts of our team members and community. The events were fantastic, and we’d like to thank everyone who attended and donated. A big thanks to my team at The Old Joint Stock too – their hard work ensured our annual Christmas by Candlelight events were evenings of festive fun.”

Pauline Clarke, senior business and communities fundraiser at St Basils said: “We are absolutely thrilled that The Old Joint Stock and their customers have raised this amount. Every penny raised will be spent on support services working with our young people to help them gain the necessary skills to get back into education or work and live an independent life. We look forward to a great partnership going forward.”