Free drinks scheme for Christmas designated drivers

Free drinks for designated drivers this Christmas 🎄🚗

South Wales Police’s DES Scheme is back for its fourth year, offering free or discounted soft drinks to designated drivers across the region throughout the Christmas period until early January.

More than 100 venues across south Wales are taking part in the initiative, which aims to promote responsible drinking and road safety during the festive season.

The scheme works by customers identifying themselves as the designated driver – known as ‘DES’ – to bar staff, who then provide them with a wristband. This wristband entitles them to free or discounted draught soft drinks or squash, with each venue determining whether the offer lasts all night or for a set number of drinks.

South Wales Police said: “We know it can sometimes be a burden being the designated driver but we hope this scheme will encourage more people to be aware of the very serious consequences of drink driving and the importance of being safe on the roads.”

The force emphasised that there is no way to know how much you can drink and stay under the limit, as it depends on factors including weight, age, metabolism and the amount of food eaten. They warned that it’s impossible to speed up the removal of alcohol from your system, and that you may still be affected by alcohol the next day after a night out.

Driving under the influence of drink or drugs can affect your driving in numerous ways and create a false confidence which leads to increased risk-taking behaviour, putting lives in danger.

Licensed premises interested in joining the scheme can contact their local licensing team.

Participating venues:

Cardiff (32 venues):
Brewhouse and Kitchen, Pontcanna
Be At One, St Mary St
Philharmonic, St Mary Street
Retro, Mill Lane
Brewhouse, St Mary Street
Blue Bell, High Street
Daffodil, Windsor Place
Cricketers, Cathedral Road, Pontcanna
The Dock, Mermaid Quay
The Discovery, Celyn Avenue
Misfits Social Club, Miskin Street, Cathays
Portland House, Bute Street, Cardiff Bay
Coyote Ugly Cardiff, St Mary Street
Temple Bar Cardiff, High St
Yates, Greyfriars Rd
Marys, St Mary Street
Holiday Inn Cardiff City Centre, Castle Street
Walkabout Cardiff, St Mary Street
Metro’s, Bakers Row
Full Fat Social, Mermaid Quay
Tonight Josephine, Caroline Street
Cardiff Cottage, St Mary Street
Cardiff Marriot, Mill Lane
Depot, Curran Rd
Tiger Yard, Porth Teigr Way
The Four Elms, Elm Street
Queens Vaults, Westgate Street
Mocka Lounge, Mill Lane
The Poachers Arms, Church Lane, St. Mellons
The Cross Inn, Newport Road, Rumney
Royal British Legion Club, Rumney Court, Rumney
The Willows, Willowbrook Drive, St. Mellons

Vale of Glamorgan (5 venues)
The Bear’s Head, Windsor Road, Penarth
The Mount Rooms Hotel, Barry
Park Hotel, Park Crescent, Barry
The Golden Lion, Glebe Street, Penarth
Three Horseshoes, Station Road, Dinas Powys

Rhondda Cynon Taf (9 venues)
The Bute Arms, Victoria Square, Aberdare
The Bush Inn, Commercial Street, Aberdare
35 Squared, Victoria Square, Aberdare
No 20, Canon Street, Aberdare
Prince Of Wales, Victoria Square, Aberdare
Taffs Well RFC, Taffs Well
The Jeffrey’s Arms, Jeffrey Street, Mountain Ash
The Cefnpennar Inn, Blackberry Place, Cefnpennar
The Baileys Arms, Miskin Road, Mountain Ash

Merthyr Tydfil (8 venues)
Clwb Crown, Penry Street
The New Crown, High Street
The Iron Dragon, Castle Street
The Vulcan Inn, High Street
Welsh Bar, High Street
Davs Kitchen, High Street
The Butchers Arms, Main Road, Pontsticill
The Red Cow Inn, Main Road, Pontsticill

Bridgend (11 venues)
Pyle RFC, Beach Rd, Pyle
Three Horseshoes, Cefn Road, Cefn Cribwr
Cefn Cribwr Athletic Club, Cae Gof, Cefn Road
Green Acre, Heol Fach, North Cornelly
Kenfig Hill RFC, Pisgah Street, Kenfig Hill
Kenfig Hill and Pyle British Legion, Brynglas Terrace, Pyle
The New House Inn, Thomas Crescent, North Cornelly
Kenfig Hill Labour Club, Prince Road, Kenfig Hill
RAFA Club, New Road, Porthcawl
The Bird, Commercial Street, Maesteg
The Whitehorse, Church Terrace, Coychurch, Bridgend

Swansea (41 venues)
The Black Horse, Iscoed Road, Hendy, Pontarddulais
Coyote Ugly Swansea, Salubrious Pl, Wind St
Jack Murphys, Wind St
Jack Murphys, Uplands Cres, Uplands
One Eyes Willy’s, Wind St
The Griffin, Wind Street Castle Square
Wig & Pen, St Helen’s Rd
Olde Cross Keys, St Mary St
The Mill, Brynymor Rd
Brewstone, Uplands Cres, Uplands
Slug & Lettuce, Caer St
The Perch, Wind St
Savana, Wind St
Popworld, Wind St
Bambu, Wind St
Bonnie Rogues, Wind St
Peppermint, Wind St
The Black Boy, Gower Rd, Killay
Deers Leap, Cwmrhydyceirw
Coopers Arms, Neath Rd, Plasmarl
The Dunvant, Dunvant Rd, Dunvant
The Railway Inn, Siloh Rd, Plasmarl
Plough & Harrow, Swansea Rd, Llangyfelach, Morriston
Manselton Hotel, Penfilia Rd, Manselton
The Masons, Swansea Rd, Waunarlwydd
The King’s Head, Llangyfelach Rd, Tre-boeth
Plough & Harrow, Llangyfelach Rd, Brynhyfryd
The Overdraft, High St, Clydach
Plough & Harrow, Church Rd, Llansamlet
The Crown Inn, Birchgrove Rd, Birchgrove
Bowens Arms, Birchgrove Rd, Birchgrove
Venue 42, Newton Rd, Mumbles
The Royal Oak, Beach Rd, Pen-clawdd
Love you a latte, Newton Rd, Mumbles
Harry’s Bar, Newton Rd, Mumbles
Pontardawe RFC, Ynysderw Rd
Pontardawe Inn, Herbert St, Alltwen, Pontardawe
The Pink Geranium Village Hotel, Herbert St, Pontardawe
Bar 98, Herbert St, Pontardawe
The Castle, High St, Pontardawe
Travellers Well, Commercial Rd, Pontardawe

Neath Port Talbot (13 venues)
St Ives, Old Market Street, Neath
The Ambassador Hotel & Restaurant, The Parade, Neath
Greyhound, Water St, Neath
Ten 21, New St, Neath
Castell-Nedd Arms, Angel St, Neath
The Arch Bar, Commercial St, Neath
Allan Leonard Lewis, Orchard St, Neath
Pig Iron Tavern, Station Rd, Port Talbot
Afan Ales, Station Rd, Port Talbot
Seaside Social Club, Dalton Rd, Sandfields, Port Talbot
Lamb & Flag, Wellfield Pl, Glynneath, Neath
Glyn Clydach, Longford Rd, Neath Abbey, Neath
Rock and Fountain Public House, Burrows Rd, Skewen, Neath