Almost £2,000 was distributed to local charities and community organisations when Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club staged its annual Brains of Newquay Charity Give Away Quiz on Sunday night at the Sandy Lodge Hotel in Newquay.
Nineteen teams took part in a closely fought evening of fun, friendly competition and fundraising, each representing a local charity or good cause. Unlike many charity quizzes, every organisation represented was guaranteed to benefit, with the Lions committing to donate at least £50 to every team taking part, while the top three teams earned additional prize money. Throughout the evening, teams also competed for £100 round prizes, adding plenty of excitement to the contest.
After six challenging rounds of questions, it was The Lusty Crusties, representing Lusty Glaze Surf Life Saving Club, who emerged as overall champions. Their excellent all-round performance earned them the top prize of £400 for their chosen charity. However, their win was closely contested with there being just half a point separating them from second placed and last year’s winners, The Precocious Penguins who won £300 to support Parkinsons Cornwall Branch. In third place, and winning £200 were Blooming’ Lovely who nominated their winnings to go to Newquay in Bloom.
The remaining teams all received various amounts based on their performances and the good causes that benefited were: RNLI Newquay Branch, Newquay Marine Group, Newquay Cricket Club, NSPCC, Trenance Heritage Cottages, Prickels and Paws Hedgehog Sanctuary, Newquay Cormorants, Bristol Childrens Hospital Grant Appeal, Children’s Hospice SW, MacMillan The Cove, iSightCornwall, Newquay Hornets Minis, Newquay Dramatic Society, Cornwall Air Ambulance and Newquay Afternoon Singers.
The standard of quizzing was exceptionally high, with teams battling throughout the evening for the leading positions and valuable round prizes, all while raising much-needed funds for a wide range of local organisations. A special thank you went to quiz master and question setter, Lion Carl Leadbetter who kept order on the evening.
Lion Phil Bunt, treasurer of Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club said: “The Brains of Newquay Quiz has become one of the highlights of our year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring local charities, clubs and community groups together for an evening of fun while ensuring that everyone goes home with financial support for the fantastic work they do. Congratulations to The Lusty Crusties on a well-deserved victory and thank you to every team who took part and made the evening such a success.”
The annual event is one of many community initiatives organised by Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club, whose members raise funds throughout the year to support local charities, voluntary organisations and individuals in need. The next big event is Newquay Beer Festival that runs from 18-20 September at Newquay’s Hendra Holiday Park. Tickets are now on sale at www.newquaybeerfestival.co.uk.
