Northampton pub to host charity event in memory of regular who sadly passed away from cancer

The Old Bank in Kingsley Park Terrace, known formerly as The Lord Byron, is run by Markie Prendiville under the Prendiville Taverns group.

After working at the venue when it was The Lord Byron and returning after two years away to take over, Markie says the remodel and name change has seen it develop into a “thriving community hub”.

“The pub is some people’s second home,” Markie told the Chronicle & Echo. “The most important thing is we’re a community pub with community spirit.”

Though there has been some confusion around the name change, Markie said: “This building was previously NatWest, and the one in town was a Barclays. We decided it was out with the old and in with the new.”

The managing operator says their ethos is about putting locals and their best interests at the heart of everything they do, including keeping prices affordable.

Part of the team’s commitment to the community is charity work, and the upcoming fun day for Cynthia Spencer Hospice is planned for October 6.

A regular customer of The Old Bank, Alison, was diagnosed with stage three metastatic lung cancer in early 2024. She was given three to six months to live and the cancer quickly progressed to stage four. Alison lived until July this year, and Markie believes it is important to honour her memory.

Alison spent her final week at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, a charity that the venue previously raised thousands for under its former name.

“The work they do is selfless and they purely rely on donations,” said Markie.

The event will last from 12pm on October 6 until midnight, and many local musicians have volunteered their time across the 12 hours for the good cause.

A raffle is also being held and The Old Bank is calling on generous prize donations from businesses to help them raise as much money as they can.

All proceeds, including money raised from donation boxes and food sales, will be donated to the deserving Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

Markie said: “Whether people turn up and put in 50 pence or £50, the most important thing is raising as much as we can.”

The team looks forward to putting this on for the Kingsley regulars and the wider Northampton community, as the overriding goal is to look after residents.

Bar staff member Natasha is also doing a skydive for the cause, and has already raised £600 of her £2,000 target. This will be combined with the money raised by the fun day.

Any donations, whether that be prizes or money, can be given directly to the staff at the pub in Kingsley Park Terrace.

For more information, and links to online fundraising pages to make your donation, visit The Old Bank’s Facebook page here.