Weymouth barman set to give up booze for month in the name of charity (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth barman set to give up booze for month in the name of charity

11:00am Monday 14th January 2013 in News By Catherine Bolado

A WEYMOUTH barman has taken up the ultimate challenge – giving up alcohol for a month for charity.

James Perry, 24, not only works at Finn’s pub in Weymouth but also lives there too, making his New Year’s challenge an even more impressive feat.

Mr Perry became a ‘Dryathlete’ for January to raise money for Cancer Research UK, a charity he holds close to his heart after battling cancer himself.

He said: “I found out three days before my 23rd birthday.

“I was in an operation a day after my birthday. I couldn’t party or anything.”

He is now in remission and said that everything is good, but that he wanted to he wanted to help out the charity.

Mr Perry said: “I wanted to do something, to do my bit personally.”

The barman has been working at Finn’s for six years, since he was 18.

He said he loved the job as he got to meet all the different customers.

He said: “We have lots of live music and it’s a big part of my life as I play in bands.”

He added that so far, a couple of weeks in, the challenge wasn’t ‘too bad’ and he was getting on okay.

But one of the hardest parts of the challenge was going out with friends who were all drinking.

He joked: “My friends go out and get drunk and I go out and drink Diet Coke.”

He joked that he had already been ‘stitched up’ by friends into being the designated driver for an evening out to Bristol.

Mr Perry added that all his family and friends had been very supportive.

He added: “Everyone’s been really cool and they have all donated.”

He was hoping to raise £250 to start with but that thanks to generous donations from family, friends, work mates and those at Finn’s he had already raised more than £300 and is hoping to raise even more.

To sponsor James, visit Justgiving.com and search for his name. His page is the Dryathlete one.