Pub regulars help Kelly clock up the miles for stroke support

A pint-sized barmaid working in one of the region’s smallest pubs is toasting regulars who have helped her pass a personal milestone in raising funds for the Stroke Association.

Kelly Lane set out to raise £200 in the challenge to walk 60 miles in October so she would qualify for a medal to show to her father-in-law, who suffered a major stroke earlier this year.

But with the help of drinkers at the Hop & Vine, Kelly coasted past her financial target less than halfway through the month,. She’s now aiming to raise as much as she can, and she hopes to secure backing from a wider supporter base.

Kelly said: “My motivation is that my father in law had a major stroke in May. He’s just turned 89. He’s always been an active man. He ran a catering business for most of his life and one day he’d been chopping logs for the fire, gardening and cooking  but then he went shopping and collapsed and his entire world changed.

“He can’t speak, he has no movement on his right side and you can see the frustration in his face. I was looking at Facebook one night and I came across the challenge so I decided to join in to raise vital funds to help rebuild lives after stroke.”

Kelly uses an app to count her steps as she goes about her day and has calculated that, at just 5ft 5in tall, she needs to rack up more than 138,000 to reach 60 miles.

Walking to the pub in Albion Street from her home in Bricknell Avenue is just over three miles, and she clocks up more than a mile when she walks to her mother’s home on Orchard Park.

Kelly has to walk down eight steps to start her shifts in the Hop & Vine, and up them again when she’s finished, but as the basement bar is so tiny, with seats for about 30 people, there’s not much walking involved in serving and collecting glasses.

She said: “We get busy with visitors from out of town who know where we are and we have a great bunch of regulars – they’ve all been very generous and I’m really grateful to them.

“Some people might remember the Hop & Vine from lockdown when it became known for the world’s smallest beer garden with just two seats! Others will know us for being named CAMRA Pub of the Year in Hull for 2023 and again this year.

“But it’s such a small place, hidden away at the bottom of the steps, and we don’t get big crowds of people in every day so I’m trying to reach a wider audience.”

Kelly, who has tackled various fundraising runs for Cancer Research over the years and completed her first 10k this year, is receiving donations in a jar on the bar and through her JustGiving page.

She said: “I’m looking forward to receiving my medal to show my father-in-law and I’ll keep collecting until the campaign closes in December so hopefully more people will support me.”

Tony Garrett, landlord of the Hop & Vine, said: “My elder brother had a stroke shortly after lockdown and most people will know someone who has experienced first-hand the debilitating effects of that. Kelly is doing a great job of raising awareness.

“In supporting the Stroke Association’s campaign we’ve found out it only takes £50 to help fund research to find new ways to help stroke survivors with communication difficulties, and £150 could help pay for research into new stroke treatments. I’ve passed £250, which could pay for one hour of Helpline activity, helping the families of stroke survivors support their loved ones after stroke. It’s easy to see how small donations can mount up to make a big difference.”

To support the campaign visit https://www.justgiving.com/ and search for Kelly’s page or just call in at the Hop & Vine in Albion Street.