ORGANISTATIONS in Teignbridge have benefited from a new round of donations from Dawlish Water Rotary Club.

Before Christmas the club donated a further £500 to HITS food bank, which has continued to see rising numbers of people in desperate circumstances.

The club also pledged £200 annual Strand Centre Christmas dinner which the club will now support every year.

AIMS special needs group in Dawlish has also been given £400 for a new sensory tent and other activities and £500 was given to the local group of FORCE for cancer support which is also facing a growing need for its services.

Rotary club president Chris May said: ‘We are delighted to be able to assist these vital groups after a successful fund-raising year.’ 

In particular, members congratulated Rotarian Steve Marsh for organising a bumper Christmas collection on the Strand which raised £843.26 thanks to the continuing generosity of local people.

Meanwhile, club treasurer Robin Buchanan has made a fresh appeal for any spare, unwanted foreign currency.

Since last spring, Robin has managed to collect a whole range of currency amounts, about 80 different ones in all, amounting £240. 

As a result, he was able, on behalf of the club, to make a donation of just over £80 each to Assist Teignbridge, The Strand Centre and to MIND, on behalf of Hays Travel.

Robin said: ‘If any readers have left over currency, coins or notes, from their summer, or more recent winter, holidays, it would be wonderful if they could deposit the amounts in one of our collection boxes in the town. 

‘We will then be in a position to use those funds later for worthwhile charitable purposes.’

Collection boxes are situated in Dawlish at Hays Travel and The Strand Centre and Assist Teignbridge, at the Manor House, Old Town Street.