A CHARITY in Cornwall helping young men has been given a £25,000 boost.

St Austell Brewery’s charitable trust is giving the money to A Band of Brothers (ABOB) Cornwall.

The charity works with men aged 18-25 who are facing challenges, often including trauma, addiction, offending or social isolation.

Its branches in Falmouth, Penzance and St Austell are run by trained male volunteers who provide one-to-one mentoring. Young men are often referred to the organisation by the judicial system.

Not only is the brewery helping to fund the group, but some of its staff are also training to become mentors.

Head of external affairs Piers Thompson, who presented a giant cheque to the group, said: “A Band of Brothers is doing extraordinary, life changing work with young men across Cornwall, and we’re proud to support a programme making such a tangible difference in our communities. Our donation will help ABOB train more local mentors, expand the 12-week mentoring scheme and provide ongoing community support for young men in Cornwall.”

Meanwhile, St Austell Brewery has marked one year of its award-winning waste initiative with an uplift in recycling and a new commitment to tackling food waste.

As part of the progress made so far, 100 per cent of food waste from its 45 managed pubs across the South West is now diverted from general waste into anaerobic digestion or redistributed to local communities via Olio, a surplus food sharing app.

Launched in 2025, Operation Segregation set out to improve how waste is sorted, measured and reduced across the company’s managed pub estate. Working in partnership with Biffa, the brewery introduced colour-coded bins, improved signage and enhanced team training to make correct segregation easier. This has contributed to a 16 per cent drop in general waste and a 49 per cent reduction in total waste since 2023. Some pubs have also doubled their recycling rates.

Sustainability manager Emily Coon said: “Operation Segregation is all about cutting waste at the source and ensuring valuable materials don’t end up where they shouldn’t. What’s been most inspiring is how quickly our teams have leaned into the change. When people understand the impact, positive behaviours naturally follow. This isn’t a project with a finish line – it’s the foundation for long-term cultural and operational transformation.”

Area manager Helen Sprason said: “I am incredibly proud of what our pub teams have achieved over the past year. Seeing the waste numbers come down month by month has been hugely rewarding, but the shift in mindset is even more important.”

Now the company is committing to a 10 per cent reduction in food waste in 2026 and a long-term ambition to reduce it by 50 per cent by 2030.

St Austell Brewery is also celebrating after winning four medals at the 2026 International Brewing Awards. Among the accolades, 2025 Extra Special Tribute was awarded the only gold in its category. Proper Job 0.5% secured a silver in the ultra low alcohol category, Korev (4.8% ABV) earned a silver and Proper Job (4.5% ABV) a bronze.