NSPCC - Rochdale Branch Christmas Draw

Elisabeth Kay, Elizabeth White and Geoff Butterworth

Local Artist Geoff Butterworth has been supporting the NSPCC this year as a friend of Elisabeth and John Kay who are Chairman and Treasurer of the Rochdale Branch. The Rochdale Branch is made up of District Committees in Heywood, Littleborough and Rochdale.

John felt that the Rochdale Branch should raise funds in addition to the good work carried on year after year by the members of the District Committees. He therefore commissioned Geoff Butterworth to produce a Rochdale winter scene from which a limited edition of 5000 Christmas Cards has been printed and are now on sale.

The original painting, worth several hundred pounds, was made the first prize in a Christmas Draw for which over 1600 tickets have been purchased at £1.00 each.  Over £800 of those tickets have been bought by Rochdale members of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to whom John wrote in his capacity as President of the Rochdale Local Chamber Council. “It just shows what can be achieved when we work together” said John who is delighted by the result of his efforts.

The winning tickets were drawn by Geoff Butterworth himself on Saturday afternoon at the Littleborough Gallery on Church Street Littleborough. Mrs Elizabeth White is herself a member of the Littleborough District Committee and the draw was supervised by several committee members.

The winners were:

1. Original Painting – Harwood Jackson Builders Merchants – Ticket No. 7962
2. Framed Limited Edition Print “Winter Sports” – Dudley Doolittle - Ticket No.2565
3. Unframed Limited Edition Print “Sunflowers” – N Badley - Ticket No.0569

Additional consolation prizes being copies of Geoff Butterworth’s Limited Edition Calendars which are personally signed by the Artist were won by:

4. T. G. Products - Ticket No.6781
5. Journeaux  Ticket No.5561
6. HPS Ltd - Ticket No.5237
7. Hills Packaging - Ticket No.7550
8. Shelley Corcoran from Rochdale Infirmary - Ticket No.0535

All profits from the sale of the Draw Tickets and the Christmas Cards provide funds to help children in the North West.  Some of the Christmas Cards are still available for sale at only 50p each from:

• Sandiford’s Gallery, Drake Street, Rochdale
• The Gallery at 88 Church St, Littleborough
• George Kelsall’s Bookshop Church St, Littleborough
• Reception of Molesworths Bright Clegg, Solicitors at Rochdale and Littleborough

The NSPCC are looking for volunteers in all areas. If you are interested please phone the Community Appeals Manager, Deborah Hardwick on 0161-628-1209.