Tony, Danny and Cassie
Opening the Nobody Inn
There’s room for all at the Nobody Inn! The Nobody Inn is an online pub, opened during lockdown by Danny Alexis and Cassie Shortlander, with the help of their friend Tony Hassan. Tony created a ‘virtual tip jar’, as a fun way to raise money for our charity. We chat to Danny, Cassie, and Tony about the inspiration behind this ingenious virtual community...
Danny and Cassie, why did you set up the pub?
We set up Nobody Inn to help and support our friends and families during lockdown, not knowing that the pub would grow in popularity over the months. We now have over 8,000 pub regulars! We are lucky to have some amazing friends that have helped keep the entertainment flowing. We stream live DJs, music, and keep-fit classes. Of course, there is also still time for general pub banter. The community support is amazing!
Tony, why did you decide to support the National Autistic Society?
As a way of saying thanks to Danny & Cassie for creating Nobody Inn, I decided to set up a virtual 'pub tip jar’ in aid of their charity of choice. They chose the National Autistic Society. The National Autistic Society is a charity close to Danny and Cassie’s heart as their 10-year-old son Danny Junior (DJ) is autistic. The tip jar has proved very popular indeed.
What tips would you give to fellow fundraisers?
Think of creative ways in which you can run things differently. Ask for favours from your friends and contacts, especially if they have a talent they can use. We did just that, and the online pub hosted a dedicated Dance for Autism: an all-day DJ event with support from 12 DJs, who gave up their time to support the event, along with an online auction. The support from the pub community has been tremendous.
So far, the Nobody Inn has raised £2573.… and they’re not done yet! They’re planning to continue their fundraising and, when it’s safe to do so, will have an in-person gathering of their virtual community!
We want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone involved with the Nobody Inn for their support, and Danny, Cassie and Tony especially for coming up with such a creative way to support each other and autistic people.