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Heineken pledges £50k to UK flood victims

Heineken is donating £50,000 to help the people of Tadcaster, Yorkshire, who have been badly hit by the recent floods that have overwhelmed parts of northern England and Scotland.

Heineken’s John Smith ale brand is produced in the Yorkshire town (Photo: Heineken)

The town, where Heineken’s John Smith ale brand is brewed, saw torrential rainfall over December and the beginning of January, which caused the River Wharfe to burst its banks. This led to the collapse of the ancient Tadcaster bridge, which connects the two sides of the town.

Heineken has set aside £25,000 to help rebuilt transport links in the town as well as a further £25,000 to be given over to community groups and general rebuilding projects.

The pledge has recieved support from the local Conservative MP Nigel Adams. He said: “Heineken are an important employer in the town and it’s fantastic to see them step up with this significant funding. I will be working with them over the coming weeks to identify projects that can make a real difference to the local community.”

The company said it will be “working with local stakeholders in the coming days” to help identify the transport projects most in need of funding.

It has also partnered with Neighbourly.com to launch the grant fund which will be open to applications from local groups in February.

David Kerfoot of the York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership, also welcomed the pledge. He said it “demonstrates their commitment to supporting the local people and businesses in the town.”

“Whilst we are under no illusion around the challenges facing business from the bridge collapsing, we are confident with the support and spirit demonstrated the town will bounce back stronger than ever.”

David Ginely, manager of the Tadcaster Brewery where John Smith is produced, said: “As a local employer we want to play our part in helping reconnect the town. We’re talking to people locally to understand the most pressing issues and have been clear that we stand ready to support transport and community projects in Tadcaster with both manpower and funds.”

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