The Royal Oak pub in Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton, was this year’s big winner at the 2025 PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards, scooping two awards at the prestigious ceremony attended by MPs, pub teams and other industry leaders in the House of Commons this week.
The Community Pub Hero Awards – established by PubAid, the positive voice for pubs – celebrate UK pubs as the unsung heroes of their local communities, recognising their significant contribution to local causes, from fundraising and grass roots sport to sustainability and community support.
At the event, Marston’s licensee Terry Cole and his father-in-law Keith Fulwood, whose family have run The Royal Oak pub for the past 19 years, were awarded the Fundraising Community Pub award for England, in recognition of their team’s incredible fundraising activities in the local Wolverhampton community.
Out of nearly 700 entries nationwide, The Royal Oak was also named the overall national winner of the night, scooping the most coveted award for Outstanding Contribution to the pub industry.
The Marston’s pub was awarded the honour due to its tireless support of the Midland Freewheelers Blood Bikes, a voluntary service that supports the NHS by delivering blood, samples and medication 24 hours a day. The pub bought an £18,000 motorbike for the charity and helps to raise money to maintain its full fleet of 10 bikes and three cars. The pub’s support has enabled the charity to complete over 6,000 jobs free of charge for the NHS and patients.
In addition, three of the pubs regular customers have now become fully trained Blood Bikers and one of its management team has joined as a coordinator and already completed over 75 shifts whilst still running the pub.
Among the MPs attending the celebration were Warinder Juss, MP for Wolverhampton West, and Tonia Antoniazzi, MP for Gower and Chair of The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, who were on hand to congratulate Terry, Keith and all the night’s other deserving winners.
Terry Cole, Licensee of The Royal Oak, said:
“These awards celebrate everything that makes a pub the heart of the community, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring them home to Chapel Ash. From charity events to local support, this is a testament to what we can achieve together. A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us in keeping the community spirit alive and strong. This is as much your win as it is ours.”
Justin Platt, Chief Executive Officer of Marston’s, added:
“The Royal Oak is famous within Marston’s and throughout Wolverhampton as not only being a great local pub, but as a team who are passionately local and really care, always looking for new ways to support and engage the local community and enhance their positive impact on it.
“Congratulations to Emma, Terry, Susan, Keith and all their team for this incredible achievement. To have their monumental efforts recognised at a national level is truly fantastic and very well deserved.”
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