TURTON Rotary Club celebrated another year of successful fundraising when they handed out cheques of more than £10,000 to local charities at their annual presentation ceremony at the Last Drop Village Hotel.

The largest amount, for £4,500, was presented by retiring president David Biggar, to Jacqueline Mason from Bolton Kids2Gether, a Bolton charity involved with supporting children with autism.

The money was raised earlier in the year at a charity evening at Dunscar Conservative Club.

Rotarian Peter Gaskell organised the event.

The main beneficiaries at the presentation evening were:

  • £600 Royal Bolton Coronary Care Unit
  • £600 Medcare
  • £500 Christie Hospital Mobile Chemo Unit
  • £500 Egerton Park Improvement Committee (EPIC)
  • £500 Cancer Services at the Churchill Ward
  • £500 Neil Cliffe Care Centre in Wythenshawe
  • £250 to Smithills School Band
  • £250 Jigsaw-a Bolton Stroke Group
  • £250 Muscular Dystrophy Charity
  • £250 North West Air Ambulance
  • £250 Bolton Mountain Rescue
  • £250 RNLI
  • £250 Duke of Lancasters Regimental Charities
  • £250 Dementia Support
  • £250 to Urban Outreach
  • £150 Astley Bridge Roadside Flower Boxes

The club has installed a new president, Jim Turner, who took over from Mr Biggar. The club’s new vice president is Mike McNicholas.

Mr Turner is a graphic designer, who runs his own company, JKT Graphic Design.

He has been a member for 20 years and in that period has served on all the committees and twice been chairman of the community services committee.

The 55-year-old, who lives in Chapeltown with his wife and three children, is hoping his term of office will provide another bumper year of fundraising.

He said: “We have been very successful raising thousands of pounds for local charities and I hope that continues.

"We will be holding our popular Christmas sleigh and duck race and several other events including a fund raising evening for Alzheimers and dementia.

"Also I hope to steer through various initiatives and to encourage new membership.”