'Tea-total' take on pub crawl swaps booze for brews

A famous Leeds pub crawl is turning "tea-total" this weekend as fundraisers hold a booze-free take on the Otley Run.

The O'tea'ly Run is the brainchild of teacher Shazia Farooqui, who wanted to create a family-friendly alternative to the famed student pub crawl on Otley Road.

Sunday's event will see people make their way from venue to venue, drinking cups of tea instead of pints of beer to raise money for Friends of Alfie Martin, a charity which funds neonatal equipment at hospitals across Yorkshire.

Farooqui, who grew up in the area, said the Otley Run had been a big part of her life but, as she doesn't drink alcohol, it was always viewed from a distance.

"I just thought it'd be so nice to be able to do something similar but with a twist, to make it more inclusive for everyone," she said.

She remembers the original Otley Run as a fun event, with her children asking her why so many students were walking down Otley Road in fancy dress on weekends.

She said: "I just thought it'd be so nice to mimic the actual Otley Run and bring everyone together. And everyone loves tea, especially here in Yorkshire!

"I'm hoping they'll dress up just the same way as they would if they were doing the Otley Run, so hopefully we'll see a variety of costumes, some giant teapots and giant teacups, maybe?," she said.

"There are certainly going to be quite a lot of cups of tea drunk on the day!"

The original Otley Run is a student tradition at the University of Leeds, which over the years has featured 15 to 19 pubs.

It has also been beset with issues around anti-social behaviour, and a growing backlash from locals.

Despite this, Farooqui said the teetotal version was simply about celebrating the sense of fun that defined the original.

Sunday's event will start at the Lavanta Meze Bar and Grill at 11:00 BST and follow a 2 mile (3.2km) route.

It will end up at Hyde Park, with a multicultural Mad Hatter's style tea party.

The O'tea'ly Run is raising money for Friends of Alfie Martin alongside the Leeds-based Give a Gift charity.

Give a Gift director Rifhat Malik said: "When Shazia came to me with the idea, I loved it.

"We were born and bred in Leeds, and we see the Otley runners all the time and it's brilliant fun.

"I'm really inspired because it's great that we've got people from our community coming forward to raise funds for our chosen charity."

Malik said the charity's mission was especially close to her heart.

"I've sort of gone through what the founders went through in terms of losing a baby, and I think the vital equipment that they provide in the Yorkshire region, the hospitals in particular, it's life-saving, amazing work.

"So it probably touches a lot of families in many ways. This is just one way of us showing our support. They're doing some fantastic work."

Friends of Alfie Martin was founded in 2002 by Alfie's parents, Fiona and Roger Martin.

Alfie died three days after being born by caesarean section at Harrogate District Hospital.

The volunteer-led charity has raised more than £1m so far, helping thousands of families across Yorkshire.

Committee member Jackie Knaggs said being chosen as the charity partner was a "privilege", but it was also heartening to see something "fun" contribute to Alfie's "positive legacy".

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