OTLEY Beer Festival Organising Committee has presented cheques to this year’s nominated charities.

The Festival, now in its 22nd year, has raised more than £110,000 for charities and good causes. Due to the pandemic the festival was not held in its usual home this year. Instead it was run in the town’s pubs, with each pub and bar hosting a special ‘Otley Beer Festival on Tour’ beer and donating proceeds from the sales to the Festival’s two nominated charities - the Alzheimer’s Society and the NSPCC.

The committee gathered at the Bay Horse, hosted by Dean and Jan Ball. Faye Mitchell, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society and Jackie Dawson of the NSPCC each received a cheque for £750.

Nic Shipp, chair of the organising committee said “Not only was this year’s Festival able to take place, thanks to the enthusiasm of Otley’s landlords to help us contribute to good causes, but we were able to continue supporting Yorkshire’s small brewers, who have also been hit hard by the pandemic and to raise money for deserving charities as well as giving Otley an event, so many of which couldn’t go ahead in the Town during and after lockdown.”

The Committee is currently planning Otley Beer Festival 2023 and will publicise the event through social media feeds, and locally.