RED Mist Leisure, owner of pubs including The Wheatsheaf in Farnham and The Duke of Cambridge in Tilford, has raised an impressive £14,000 in just 10 days for charity with a marathon walk and family-friendly music festival.

Around 3,000 people flocked to the annual CherryFest charity music festival at The Duke of Cambridge on May 30, raising a record £7,000 towards respite care for children with disabilities.

Back for an eight year, this year’s CherryFest offered another fun-filled day of live music, food and drink including the specially brewed CherryFest Ale, as well as a children’s entertainer, bouncy slide, inflatable climbing wall, charity raffle and face painting.

All proceeds will go to the Cherry Trees charity, which provides home-from-home short breaks and respite care for children and young people aged up to 19 years old with a range of disabilities from its base in East Clandon, near Guildford.

It came just days after ‘The Red Mist Ramblers’, a team of around 40 Red Mist staff, suppliers, customers and friends, completed a 26-mile charity walk from another of its pubs The Queen’s Head in East Clandon to The Wheatsheaf in West Street, Farnham, - raising a further £7,000 for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care and Disability Challengers.

Mark Robson, managing director of Red Mist leisure said: “We’re blown away by people’s generosity for two fantastic annual events in Red Mist Leisure’s fundraising calendar.

“In terms of CherryFest what started off eight years ago as a one-off event with a few bands and a hog roast to raise money for their new kitchen has gone from strength to strength with tremendous support from fantastic local bands and a community that comes together rain or shine to keep raising money for such a great cause.

“This year we beat our previous record of last year by £1,500 and our Red Mist Ramble exceeded last year’s fundraising challenge by £1,000. We’ve already started planning CherryFest 2017 and the 2017 sporting challenge has not yet been finalised but the Three Peaks have been mentioned.”

The Duke of Cambridge also celebrated its re-opening at the end of May following a half a million pound refurbishment, now boasting a new larger patio area, a complete interior make-over including a new kitchen and a custom made children’s play area, new garden furniture and pergola, and a larger car park.

General manager at the Tilford pub, Alex Fellowes-Freeman, added: “We’re really excited to be open again and we have achieved a considerable amount of change in a short space of time.

“I hope customers love our new look and feel as much as myself and the team at The Duke Of Cambridge do. Bring on the sunshine and summertime and we look forward to welcoming back customers old and new once again.”

For more information about The Duke and to see its new summer menu visit the website www.dukeofcambridgetilford.­co.uk.