A Teignmouth man who sold over £1000 worth of raffle tickets for Teignmouth Pride has been formally recognised and thanked for his dedication to the event.

David Heath single-handedly sold more than two thirds of the raffle tickets for the Pride prize draw, generating £1,025 towards putting on next year’s event.

His commitment to selling raffle tickets for local events doesn’t stop with Pride. He also generated over £3,000 for Teignmouth Carnival by selling programmes and raffle tickets earlier this summer.

David, who has supported Teignmouth Pride by selling raffle tickets for three years said his mum and dad taught him his sales patter and instilled in him a sense of contributing to the community when he was younger. ‘It’s part of who I am,’ he commented. ‘It’s what keeps me going.’

Teignmouth Pride presented David with chocolate and flowers in recognition of his contribution.

Next year’s Teignmouth Pride will take place between September 4-6.

The event aims to bring all sections of the community together, regardless of age, gender, religion, sexuality, or any other demographic characteristic that might attract discrimination under the banner of inclusivity and enjoyment.

Rather than a parade, the event is centred around Hollands Road in the town and focused on music and entertainment for all ages to unite the community.

As well as David’s contribution through raffle ticket sales, Teignmouth Pride is funded by street collections, sponsorship from local businesses and grants from the National Lottery Community Fund, Teignmouth Town Council, Tesco Community Support and the Teignbridge Councillor Communty Fund.

Earlier this year, David was presented with an individual excellence award at the Teignmouth Town Council Community Awards in recognition of his support and dedication to the Teignmouth community.

David has previously won the Teignmouth Rotary Club citizen of the year award for his charity fundraising work which spans more than 40 years.