A businessman who runs an events company from an office at Rodney Parade in Newport has raised thousands of pounds for charity since the business was set up three years ago.

Brian Hall, who used to manage the Walkabout pub in Newport city centre, set up Tight5 events which specialises in sporting dinners, especially rugby, cricket and golf after being made redundant from the pub chain.

South African Brian explained that each event has a link with charity and those he has helped over the years include Help Leo Walk, Ty Hafan, Velindre Hopsital and the J9 Foundation. His business also helps run rugby testimonial events for players including Tom Shanklin, Peter Buxton and Mike Powell.

The total raised for charity/testimonials in 2013 was more than £160,000, including £100,000 raised for South African rugby player Joost Van Der Westhuizen, who suffers from Motor Neurone disease.

Brian said: “I did this sort of thing in South Africa in the 1990s. I was living in Edinburgh when I got made redundant and we decided we wanted to come back to Wales, so we moved and I set up Tight5.

“It was a risk but it is doing okay and I am batting well above my average. People trust us, which is very important,” he said.

Brian is hoping to raise £100,000 a year for the J9 Foundation, which was set up by Joost Van Der Westhuizen to help others with his condition, and ‘adopt’ four people with the condition in Britain to support.

His firm is also involved with helping to raise money for former Newport Gwent Dragons player and Wales rugby international Matthew J Watkins, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his pelvis and Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff where he has undergone treatment.

Brian said he was keen to link up with smaller, more local charities, which can benefit from the fundraising at the events his firm organises.

For more details on Tight5, its charity work and forthcoming events visit www.tight5events.co.uk.