A group of friends who have turned a Christmas tradition into an annual fundraiser have raised a record amount for the charity, Mind, this year, in memory of their friend, Jody Bryant.

The merry band of festive Christmas trees managed to collect £1,762 as part of their ‘Twelve Pubs of Christmas’ charity walk. In 2011, the dress code was Christmas jumpers, but as the years have passed, the costumes have become more carefully planned – from Father Christmasses to Snowmen, Reindeer, Turkeys, Elves and this year – Christmas Trees.

But the costumes have been problematic for the latest public house to join the area, the Wetherspoons’ Palladium Electric in Midsomer Norton, after it said that policy would not let the charity collectors enter the premises, as their faces would be covered. It was also unable to donate, due to its corporate sponsored charity policy.

Organiser and fundraiser, James Bridges, told The Journal that despite this, he was very grateful to the local pubs and their customers who have supported the cause. He said: “Although we have been meeting up and going out at Christmas for seven years, we hit on the idea of collections after I ran out of charity stunts to pull in memory of our friend, Jody Bryant, who lost his battle with mental health in 2008. As people began to look out for us, we realised that we might be able to raise a good amount for the mental health charity, Mind, particularly as we lost a number of other men in the area in the years following Jody’s death, in the same circumstances.

“In the last three years, we raised £900 the first year, £1,200 last year and £1,762 this year. We are already thinking of how we can raise the bar for 2019! We have lost a number of local pubs in the area over the years, meaning there are fewer and fewer places for us to meet up, talk about our problems, and generally improve our mental health away from the internet.”

Mind is a charity helping those affected by mental health problems and believes that no-one should have to face these issues alone. Whether you are stressed, depressed, or in crisis, they can help at any time of the day or night, and are able to listen, support and give advice.

For more details, visit: www.mind.org.uk

Any readers wishing to contribute to the local fundraising effort can do so via the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/The12PubsOfXmas2019