BROWNIES and guides will get a better night’s sleep thanks to the fundraising efforts of a Dorchester beer festival.

Organisers of Beerex 2011 have presented the Mid Dorset Brownies and Guides with a cheque for £500 from the proceeds of the event.

The money goes towards new camp beds for sleepovers and Guide camps to replace the old camp beds the girls currently have to use.

Division commissioner Dr Catherine Welch was at the presentation to receive the cheque.

She said: “We are so grateful to Dorchester Beerex for this kind donation.

“As a charity we have over the years collected and bought camps beds for our girls to enjoy sleepovers, such as our annual Brownie Ball, and Guide camps. Unfortunately these beds are starting to show their age.

“I hope this donation will allow our girls to continue enjoying a good night’s sleep for years to come.”

Spokesman for the Beerex committee, Richard Gabe, whose daughter is a Brownie in Dorchester, said: “After seeing the poor state of the camp beds that some of the Brownies had to sleep on it was high time that we made a donation to give everybody a better night’s sleep.”

Dorchester Beerex, which is jointly run and organised by the West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale and Dorchester Round Table, has raised more than £75,000 for local causes over the last 24 years.

This year’s event, which was a sell-out, raised more than £10,000 for charities and other organisations.

More than 1,300 people turned out to enjoy more than 5,500 pints of 80 different beers and ciders.

Donations were also made this week to the Dorchester Skate Park and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.