THE owners of a Cwmbran pub who raised over £15,000 for charity are leaving after five years.

It was the first pub venture for couple Alice-Jane Davies and Mark Pinney, who jumped at the chance to run the Oakfield Pub in Llantarnam - the pub where they first met incidentally.

Ms Davies, 49, said it had become a special place for them.

“We met when I was working as a barmaid in the pub 18 years ago, and he used to drink there, and two years later we got together," she said.

“Since then I worked in numerous other local pubs, but when I saw it up for grabs I didn’t hesitate in wanting to run the pub as it was a dream come true.”

Ms Davies, from Trevethin, had over 30 years of bar work under her belt when she took over, but it was a first for Mr Pinney, 51, who worked as a manufacturer.

Ms Davies said he soon got the hang of it though and they made a "good team", even pitching in for charity.

“As the pub had a large garden and we wanted it to be a community pub, we decided to host charity events, and it really took off with us raising over £15,000 for different causes,” she added.

Charities they fundraised for included Help for Heroes, Marie Curie, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Ty Hafan, to name a few.

They held a successful hoe down which raised £600, a Halloween disco, a Santa’s Grotto and Oakfield Festival in the summer- which at its height welcomed 450 people to watch live music.

Ms Davies said: “We have loved being a part of the community and I must thank everyone who supported us over the years to raise money.

“But it’s time for us to go and take a break and I will be helping out the new owner while they settle in.”

Cwmbran Community councillor for the Llantarnam ward, Paul Williams, praised the hard work of the couple.

"During the five years as landlords they have arranged events that have raised over £15,000 for local and national charities. A record that deserves recognition," he added.