A BASINGSTOKE pub landlord who received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for raising £52,500 for various charities through virtual quizzes is now aiming for a new Guinness World Record with a 36-hour marathon pub quiz.

Richard Curtis, General Manager of the Portsmouth Arms pub in Basingstoke, already broke the world record in May last year for conducting the longest quiz (34 hours and 11 minutes) in which he raised £21,500 for The Pink Place Cancer Charity in Basingstoke.

With a new record later this month, the 31-year-old is hoping to raise funds for Basingstoke & District Young Carers (BDYC), a charity that has not been receiving normal levels of donations since the start of the pandemic. BDYC supports young carers aged 8 to 18 who live within the Basingstoke & Deane District.

Richard is also walking 10kms every day in costumes throughout February in an attempt to attract interests and create awareness for the cash-strapped charity.

“We at the Portsmouth Arms wanted to continue our work within this amazing community,” Richard said.

“A pub is not just a place that serves food and drink, it is to be a part of its community. Also seeing someone dressed in full cricketing attire is putting smiles on some people’s faces as they walk past.

“To read that a young carer is from the ages 8-18 was remarkable, to think of some of the things that they do. I wanted a challenge that would really push myself and support a really worthy charity.”

So far, Richard has raised over £1,000 for BDYC.

Ed Ives-Wara, Chief Executive of BDYC, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on all businesses alike, however even more so for the voluntary sector.

“We have not received the normal levels of donations and therefore has created a shortfall in funds raised this year.

“We are delighted that Richard Curtis from The Portsmouth Arms is raising money for BDYC.”

Richard received the BEM for the New Year honours. He first started the pub quiz on Facebook from the first day of lockdown, when he had to close his business. His initial plan was to raise £150 for a local charity.

The father-of-three ran the quiz every night from March to July, and has continued to do so weekly since, bringing together people from around the country and internationally, particularly in the US, Canada, Australia, and helping to combat loneliness and isolation during the various periods of lockdown.

He has raised money for many local charities including St. Michael’s Hospice, Basingstoke Foodbank and Hampshire Medical Fund.

If you wish to support BDYC, visit https://www.basingstokeyoungcarers.org.uk/.