Rotary Christmas collection raises over £5k

The Rotary Club of Middleton's Christmas party

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The Rotary Club of Middleton has raised over £5,000 for its Dragon’s Den initiative.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas the Club took Father Christmas on his sleigh around the streets of Middleton to collect for local charities and community groups.

And, to add to the collecting they spent two days at Sainsbury’s, Heaton Park, to make further collections – giving the final amount a welcome boost.

Keith Trinnaman, Middleton Rotary Club Treasurer, said: “With the financial climate the way it is we were expecting a slight downturn in takings from the Christmas collections this year.

“What a great surprise it was to find the people of Middleton in very generous moods.

“With our collection hitting the streets of Middleton and also on duty at Sainsbury’s (Heaton Park) for two Friday mornings, we accumulated a total of £5370.75.

“A very big thank you to all who helped out.”

The President of the Rotary Club of Middleton, John Brooker, added: “We greatly appreciated all the support we have received from many members of local community groups who have come out in the evenings to help with the collecting.

“It all goes to prove just how much good can come out of us all working together.”

The club will host a presentation evening on 6 February when cheques will be presented to various local community groups and charities as part of the club’s Dragon’s Den initiative.

The club ended their Christmas celebrations with a Christmas Dinner at the Norton Grange Hotel. They were entertained by Sipho Fubesi and Lucinda Scott who were accompanied by Denise Scott, Lucinda’s mother, on the keyboard.

Sipho, from South Africa, a former student at The Royal Northern College of Music, is now pursuing a career as an opera singer.

Lucinda is a student at Manchester University studying music and is hoping to take a post graduate course at The Royal Northern College of Music to study opera singing.