Pub must repay charity cash

A cricket team from Powys took a Mid Wales pub to court over its failure to hand over money to charity.

The Angel, in High Street, Newtown, has now been told it must pay £268.25 to its former cricket club.

Members of The Angel Pub Cricket Club had wanted their remaining “end of year” funds to be donated to Cancer Research UK - but the pub kept the money for a party and claimed an agreement had never been made.

During a hearing at Welshpool County Court yesterday, District Judge John Davies heard the club had been informally set up by regulars in 2005.

Club secretary, treasurer and chairman Sarah Blayney said a weekly bonus ball draw had been set up to raise money for the club.

She said: “Most of the money would be spent on equipment for the club and at the end of 2007 we agreed for any surplus money to be donated to Cancer Research UK, but we never received this money.”

Patricia Joseph and Nick Watson, from the pub, said they had never agreed for the money to be donated to charity.

The court heard that in previous years the surplus money had been spent on a party and a paintballing outing for members.

Ms Joseph said: “There was never an agreement in place for this money to be donated to charity.

“I, as a trustee, decided the money would be spent on an end of season party as it had been spent over previous years.”

She told the court a new club had now been set up, with completely new members.

Judge Davies said: “Despite the club disbanding at the end of 2007, it still exists, but purely to distribute their funds. Any funds from last year was and still is for the benefit of the 2007 club and cannot be retained.”