With Remembrance Day around the corner, we are proud to share news that we have teamed up with SA1UTE, the local charity that promotes good mental health of veterans and serving members of the armed forces. Fomer Royal Marines Commando Lee West, of Copr Bar on Swansea High Street has installed our two new limited-edition craft beers to honour our local veterans, with donations from SA1UTE craft beer sales going to this amazing charity.
SA1UTE was founded in 2017 by four local men (the SA1 part symbolising Swansea) who are passionate about the well-being and mental health of our armed forces veterans, with Paul and Lee being veterans themselves. The charity received registered status in 2020. Through personal fundraising it was able to acquire enough funds to purchase a plot of land in Brecon to develop into a retreat.
The pandemic halted progress and now the charity has recommenced operations to raise funds to work on the retreat. The charity has suffered with trustee resignations due to time restraints and the tragic passing of Paul and had found itself homeless. Trustee Lee West being in the privileged position of being sole owner of Copr Bar in Castle Street took SA1UTE in to live rent free! In celebration of SA1UTE’s new base and ability to support our local veterans again, Lee commissioned a large mural on the shutters of Copr Bar, Dawn George the Sales Manager at Tomos Watkin Brewery was impressed by the artwork and started to find out more about the background and what initiatives they could do to support the charity. Tomos Watkin have now crafted two exclusive SA1UTE beers at the Copr Bar and will be making donations from all SA1UTE craft sales to the charity!
Our parent company, the Hurns Beer Company also own Tomos Watkin Brewery, which has been a local award-winning, family run business for over one hundred years. Supporting veterans is close to the hearts of the Parry family; their father served in the armed forces during WW2 and their great grandfather in the Navy during WW1 (Idris Parry, who you might recognise from our beloved Cwrw Idris bottles).
Our Sales Rep, Dawn George says, “It is a privilege and honour to support SA1UTE, and we hope our local community of Swansea will pop into Copr bar where there will be a warm welcome and specially brewed resident taps SA1UTE stout and lager on sale, donations from the craft beer sales will support the charity”.
Lee served 17 years in the Royal Marines Commandos and was medically retired in 2020. He believes passionately in supporting the community in which he belongs. Lee and his team look forward to meeting veterans and those who want to support the charity at Copr Bar this November. So pop in for a pint and let us know what you think!