We've all heard of the Hells Angels – now welcome to the Halls Angels.

They were a group of pub landladies aiming to prove that the local pub was still a central part of the community.

The landladies, from pubs in the Halls brewery empire, aimed to encourage customers to give time and thought to people who needed help.

READ MORE: First look inside pub with controversial new name 

The campaign kicked off in 1989 with a fundraising Halloween party at the Bricklayers Arms at Old Marston, Oxford, which raised £200.

The money went towards a Christmas party for 30 needy children.

The Angels in the picture above are, left to right, Sarah Phipps, Judith Beaman, Geraldine Hannon, Ann Francis, Jo Provis, Rita Blair-Bennet and Helen Gibbons.

They represented the Bricklayers Arms, the Fox at Boars Hill, the Perch at Binsey, the Grapes at Yarnton, the Star at Woodstock, the White Hart at Wytham and the Royal Sun at Begbroke.

They were not just asking for money - with the support of their customers, they hoped to organise transport to hospital appointments as well as get-togethers with hot drinks and Christmas dinners for the homeless and under-privileged.

All the pubs were to hold raffles to raise money for food and Christmas gifts but, according to the landladies, they also wanted to encourage “warm-hearted community spirit”, with everyone giving their support.

The Fox at Boars Hill has been closed for most of this year but it is hoped that it will be reopening on a full-time basis in the near future.

It was popular for its food and countryside location.

The pub shut after popular landlord and chef Thomas Pritchard died following a car crash.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.