ALTON Beer Festival volunteers and supporters met at the Wessex Arts Centre at Alton College last Saturday for the presentation of donations to charities and individuals from the June extravaganza.

They were joined for the occasion by Alton deputy mayor Allan Chick and town and district councillor Graham Hill.

The bi-annual festival was the 31st since it began in 2002, and the people who attended helped give out donations to 14 different charities and individuals.

These donations will be used to support a diverse range of people in Alton and the surrounding villages. There were donations for youth activities, schools, Scouts and services to support people faced with life-challenging circumstances.

Speaking on behalf of the Alton Beer Festival trustees, Louise Parker said: “It was amazing to hear about the charities in Alton that are supporting every aspect of our community in so many ways.

“In the last 16 years, the total given away from the Alton Beer Festivals has now exceeded £227,000. A huge thank you to our sponsors, Triple fff Brewing and Bourne Estate Agents, as well as the breweries whose continued generosity helps us to raise money for such a diverse range of charities.”

As well as the charities receiving their donations, the awards for the summer festival champion beers were acknowledged. These are voted for by festival attendees and nearly every beer or cider gets at least one vote.

The Gold Award for Champion Beer in June was shared by two local breweries – ‘Goldfffinger’ from Triple fff and ‘Wildfire’ from Flower Pots.

The Silver Award went to Indigenous Brew’s ‘Brown Stout’, while Bronze was also shared by Triple fff’s ‘Moondance’ and Little Beer Company’s ‘Running of the Bulls’.

The charities that benefited from the beer festival included Alton Community Association, Alton Buckle Children’s Partnership, Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled, Eggar’s School, Holybourne Theatre, Cardiac Rehab, Alton Counselling Service, Alton Food Bank, St Mary’s Bentworth Primary School, The Kings Arms Youth Project, Four Marks andMedstead Scouts, Orchard House, plus two Alton residents.

Details for submitting a request for future donations can be found on the website and the next application deadline is March 15 next year.

The next event will be Alton’s second Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 20, at Eggar’s School.

Following the success of the inaugural event last year, it is relocating to bigger premises. Tickets are available online at altonbeerfestival.org.uk.