A QUIZMASTER is hoping to smash through the £20,000 fundraising barrier with a milestone event for brainboxes.

Chris Hunt, manager of the Purple Dog pub in Eld Lane in Colchester town centre, began hosting monthly quizzes on film, TV and music four years ago after being approached by a friend.

Since then, on the first Monday of every month contestants have helped to raise just over £19,000 for various good causes, ranging from the Retired Greyhound Trust to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mr Hunt was approached by his friend Trevor Hewitt, who works at the British Heart Foundation shop yards away from the Purple Dog and asked if a quiz could be held because they are in need of a fundraising boost.

Charities have already reserved fundraising slots months in advance, so a special middle-of-the-month challenge has been organised to help raise funds and Mr Hunt is hoping the next two quizzes will tip him over the landmark £20,000.

He said: “There has been about 20 different charities which we have helped.

“It all started when a girl who was a friend of the pub came in and suggested we do a charity quiz.

“She was working at HMV at the time and their charity was the Teenage Cancer Trust and suggested we raise money for them.”

Quizzes now raise at least £300 per night, with 37 teams ranging from groups of ten to two packing out the pub and the garden.

Mr Hunt said: “It is always packed, but we are quite lucky with the location we can have some teams outside and the rest crammed in the bar.

“We get a lot of the same people coming every time, which is brilliant.”

The milestone quiz is on Monday, August 15, and it starts at 8pm.

Anyone wanting to attend is encouraged to call 01206 564995 and reserve their place.