WHERE BEER MEETS BENEVOLENCE: JOSEPH HOLT LAUNCHES CHARITY FUND IN CELEBRATION OF AWARD-WINNING STOUT
At Joseph Holt, we’re not only renowned for our award-winning ales and historic pubs, but for our long-standing commitment to the communities we serve.
Now, in a pioneering move—believed to be a first for any brewery—our Manchester-based family business is launching a charity fund which is specifically tied to and named after a specific beer.
The Joseph Holt Trailblazer Fund will offer small, registered charities, located in areas served by the brewery’s 127 North West pubs, the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £15,000 to help boost the work they do. Because our pubs sit at the heart of their communities, we want to support the local causes doing vital work in those areas.
The fund takes its name from Trailblazer, the first stout ever produced by Joseph Holt in its 176-year history. “Like our Joseph Holt pubs, small independent charities are often at the heart of local life,” said Jane Kershaw, a director at Joseph Holt and the sixth generation of the family to work for the business, which was established by her great great great great grandfather weaver’s son, Joseph Holt, in 1849.
“Through the Trailblazer Fund, we want to strengthen that role by supporting organisations doing vital work in their communities—whether tackling homelessness, improving mental health, alleviating poverty or enhancing wellbeing. We hope this funding will help these essential services reach even more people.”
The link between beer and fundraising is inspired by the success of Trailblazer—a stout that has more than lived up to its name. Since its launch in 2020, it has surged in popularity, even outperforming Guinness in blind taste tests—despite the Irish brewer’s 250-year heritage.
In keeping with that same pioneering spirit, the Trailblazer Fund will support charities that are blazing their own trails and driving meaningful change in their communities.
Applications for the Joseph Holt Trailblazer Fund close in September, after which a panel from across the brewery will select the recipient.
The company itself has a long history of trailblazing, dating back to its founding in 1849 by weaver’s son Joseph Holt. When Trailblazer Stout was launched six years ago, the brewery marked the occasion with a series of limited-edition glasses celebrating pioneering figures from its past whose contributions helped shape both the business and the communities it serves.
Among them was Sir Edward Holt, whose philanthropic work helped bring fresh water from the Lake District to Manchester and who was one of the original founders of The Christie Hospital and the Holt Radium Institute.
The Trailblazer Fund will sit alongside Joseph Holt’s annual charity appeal, which raises money across its pub estate for designated causes. This year’s campaign aims to raise £250,000 for four children’s charities.
Added Jane Kershaw: “As a company rooted in supporting good causes and local communities, we’re proud to launch the Trailblazer Fund. There have been many trailblazers throughout our history, just as Trailblazer Stout has become a leader in its field. We now want to continue that legacy by backing organisations already doing exceptional work—and helping them go even further.”
To apply for the grant please go to www.trailblazerfund.co.uk
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