Owner of Northampton pub to take on garden sleep out for a charity ‘close to his heart’

The owner of a Northampton pub is soon to take on a garden sleep out for a charity which he says is “close to his heart”.

Tim Phillips, alongside his partner Charlotte Hussell, took over The Queen Adelaide in Manor Road in July last year – with the aim of reinstating it as the “hub of the village”.

The Welsh pair moved to the area to take over the Kingsthorpe business, which was not the plan until another venue fell through and they fell in love with The Queen Adelaide while visiting.

Tim previously told the Chronicle & Echo about the “rollercoaster” first six months since taking over the pub, with many visitors enjoying the new atmosphere and team.

The pair have been pleased to welcome back customers who chose not to visit the venue for as long as four years, including local families.

To Tim, an important part of running a pub is regularly giving back to the community and charities.

In less than two weeks’ time, he will be taking on ‘The Great Tommy Sleep Out’ on March 27 – created by the Royal British Legion Industries in aid of veterans and soldiers.

Tim will be sleeping out in the beer garden for the evening and may be joined by a few of his regular customers.

The owner knows a lot of people who are ex-army, some of who struggle with their mental health and require support. Relatives of his have also served in the army.

If it were not for the fact he is colour blind, Tim would have followed in his predecessors’ footsteps and served too – which is why he is keen to do what he can to support the cause.

“It’s a great charity,” he said. “I’ve always supported different charities and this one is close to my heart.”

Tim has also lost a couple of friends who served in the army, and knows it can be common for ex-servicemen to end up homeless and on the streets.

The money raised through the sleep out will be distributed directly to the people who need the support, and Tim wants to assure supporters that none of it will go to the pub.

£200 has already been raised and sponsorship sheets are behind the bar at The Queen Adelaide, waiting for generous supporters to make their donations to this worthy cause.

When asked about the importance of giving back to the community when you are in a position to, Tim said it is “very important” and he has been committed to charity work over the years.

Tim and Charlotte also wanted to raise awareness of the ‘Pride of Kingsthorpe Awards’ that they hope to host in the coming months.

The aim is to champion the “unsung heroes” of the Kingsthorpe community. Whether that is a young carer, or someone who has raised admirable amounts for charity, The Queen Adelaide wants to shout about the positive impact these people have had.

There will be more coverage on this from the Chronicle & Echo to follow, but this is your chance to start thinking about who you want to nominate in the Kingsthorpe community.

For more information and to stay up to date with The Queen Adelaide, check out the venue’s Facebook page here.