AN award-winning Darlington pub is offering a nine-gallon keg of ale to pump up the funds of St Teresa’s Hospice.

The Half Moon on Northgate, which won CAMRA’s Pub of the Season regional award for the summer, has already sold more than 100 raffle tickets for the prize keg and co-owner Dave Walker hopes to sell plenty more for the hospice before drawing the raffle on Christmas Eve.

He said: “My sister died of cancer in 2004, and one of our members of staff had a friend who used the hospice before they died of cancer, so we have always had a collection on the bar for the hospice and it seemed the natural choice to benefit from the raffle.”

The raffle winner will be able to choose which ale they would like and Half Moon staff will set the keg up in the winner’s home, complete with a mobile hand pump.

Mr Walker said: “It will be perfect for people having parties; they’ll be able to pull their own ale straight from the keg.”

Since opening in June after being closed for a year, The Half Moon has become known for its real ale as Mr Walker and business partner John Anderson moved their popular Crafty Pint stall in Darlington’s Covered Market into the freehouse pub.

Tickets for the keg raffle cost £1 and are onsale now at The Half Moon.