Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity will be the toast of Cannock Real Ale and Cider Festival next month with hundreds of pounds hopefully boosting its funds.

Organisers will be raising money from the sale of drinkers’ unsold beer tokens at the event, which is being held from Thursday, September 15 to Saturday, September 17 at Cannock’s Prince of Wales Theatre.

Money is raised through the sales of leftover amounts on the £10 token cards used to pay for the drinks, and each year, Cannock branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), selects a charity to benefit.

This year, the organisation has chosen Well Wishers after one of its members, Phil Adcock, was treated at Goscote Hospice, part of Walsall Palliative Care Centre. Well Wishers supports fundraising at the hospice, particularly around meeting the wishes of patients receiving end of life care.

Phil, 65, from Bloxwich, died a few months after contracting prostate cancer. He had been a member of the Walsall branch of CAMRA and edited the quarterly magazine of the Cannock branch.

As it is the group’s first annual event since COVID-19, the organisation isn’t sure what the take-up will be like, but it is hoping for a healthy turnout.

“We’re hoping lots of people will support the event and come and try the ales and ciders on offer,” said organiser Malcolm Pearson. “We have averaged between 1,000 and 1,500 people over the two and a half days in the past, but as this is the first event since the pandemic, we’re not sure what the footfall will be.

Well Wishers Fundraising Manager Georgie Westley said: “We’re delighted the festival has chosen to raise money for Well Wishers and we hope everyone who attends has a great time.”

Admission costs £1 for CAMRA members, £3 for non-members and £2 for concessions and the event is being held on Thursday from 5pm-11pm and on Friday and Saturday from 12 noon-11pm. There will be bands playing on Friday and Saturday.