Talkative girl chooses to stay silent for 3 hours to back pub's fundraising for Chesterfield Animal Rescue

So the nine-year-old jumped at the chance to support her village pub’s fundraising for a charity that rehabilitates and rehomes unwanted cats and dogs.

Normally very talkative, Freya-Louise decided to do a sponsored silence on her own and stay quiet for a whole three hours to raise money for Chesterfield Animal Rescue.

Her sponsored silence will take place at The Britannia, Tupton, on Saturday, January 28, from midday, and be filmed live for Facebook by her mum, Karla, who is confident that her girl will rise to the big challenge. Karla said: “She has been practising an hour a day to be quiet and has been doing it since the beginning of last week. Freya is normally very confident and loud. She never shuts up, she talks a lot and has always got stories to tell; if she's not talking she's singing and if she's not singing she's humming.

"I am so proud of her. She made her own poster, walked around the village giving people the poster to read, took their names and numbers and handed the sponsorship money over to the pub.

"I am overwhelmed at the amount of support from everyone who has given her a confidence boost by sponsoring her. She didn’t think she’d get much sponsorship, especially after Christmas, but we’re on £170 and hoping to get to the £200 mark.”

Freya-Louise, a pupil at Tupton Primary School, lives with her mum and pets including a Jack Russell cross terrier, a Border collie cross cocker spaniel, two corn snakes, two gerbils and three guinea pigs.

Linda Williams, manager of The Britannia, said: “We couldn't be prouder that Freya -Louise wanted to not speak for three hours and add her own sponsorship money to our total to help Chesterfield Animal Rescue! We are all animal lovers in the pub, and know how difficult and expensive rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming as many dogs and cats as possible is. We are hoping to be able to add as much as we can."

A few tickets remain for The Britannia’s fundraising evening on Saturday, which starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 and include live music from local band Rockin’ Raccoons, raffle, auction and games. Pie and peas will be available to buy on the night.

Linda said: “The Britannia is a small, very friendly village local and our customers are amazing. We are a community pub and our customers choose the charities they want to support. Every week the proceeds of both our Tuesday and Thursday quiz nights go to building our donation.

"We have raised £1300 so far this year for Western Park cancer charity - we will be presenting this in March.”

The Britannia is aiming to raise £10,000 for good causes in 2023, having supported charities to the tune of more than £6,000 last year.

"Last year we raised money for our local foodbank, Stroke Centre, UK Sepsis Trust and British Heart Foundation,” said Linda. “We also provided a free children's Christmas party and raised funds for the defibrillator that now sits on the wall for the whole village to use, dedicated to Pat Smith, a much loved local who we sadly lost last year.

"We also have a friendship group on Tuesdays and a lunch club on Thursdays - delicious winter warming dishes for just £4.99. We are also a registered 'warm space' offering a free cup of tea or coffee and a safe, warm space for anyone who needs it between 12-4:30pm.”

To support Freya-Louise’s fundraising for Chesterfield Animal Rescue, you can get in touch with her mum via the pub’s Facebook page