Wheelchairs for Africa

A charity folk concert organised by Rochdale East Rotary members

A charity folk concert organised by Rochdale East Rotary members Ian Smith and Doug Sutton on 2 November at Rochdale Cricket Club raised £900, enough to send 12 wheelchairs to Namibia via the RIBI Wheelchair Foundation.

The club had previously enjoyed an inspirational talk about the charity by founder Milton Frary of Castleford Rotary.

The evening was compered by Hindle Wakes folk group featuring Ian Smith, John Gill and Tom Hindley with guest performers Sally James and Alyson Brailsford (dialect poets) and the Saddlers folk group (all members of Saddleworth Male Voice Choir).

All the performers gave their services for free which gave a huge boost to the profit made.

A spoeksman said: "Our thanks to them for giving their time and expertise so generously.

"A sell–out audience helped to repeat the success of a similar concert held last February which helped to buy a Shelterbox now in use in the Phillipines after the terrible floods there."