Donate £1 here

The Royal Oak, Huntly: A Decade of Giving, and a Defibrillator for the Town

Introduction

The Royal Oak in Huntly has been named a finalist in the Community Fundraising Hero – Scotland category of the PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards 2026. Since 2014, Mark and Sarah Webster have been raising funds for causes across the town.

What they did

The pub’s latest campaign funded a public defibrillator outside the pub, which has now been installed.

Recent donations have gone to Huntly Girl Guides and the Huntly branch of Cats Protection. A new weekly bingo session, the first of its kind in the town, has become a popular social night that also adds to the charity pot. A virtual duck race with a hamper of local shortbread and whisky is now raising funds for the Huntly Christmas Lights.

The community reaction

When heavy snow left people stuck at home, Mark and Sarah used their truck to deliver shopping and prescriptions for free. Mark says: “You may arrive as a stranger but you will definitely leave as a friend!”

Impact

More than 20 groups have benefited over the years, including Huntly Stroke Club, Huntly Area Cancer Support, Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Breast Cancer Now and Huntly FC Amateurs. The pub also donates selection boxes to the nursery and Easter eggs to the food bank.

Summary

Mark says he wouldn’t be happy if he couldn’t help someone else. That attitude has made The Royal Oak a family-run community space for the whole town.

About

The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is a family-run community pub on Duke Street in Huntly, Aberdeenshire.
Duke Street, Huntly, AB54 8DL
Go to pub website

Local Constituency

Gordon and Buchan

Local MP

Harriet Cross
Go to local MP website
Follow us on social
© PubAid 2024. All rights reserved.

Competition Terms & Conditions