A Marlow Rotary Club handed over nearly £8,000 to different charities at a special awards evening last month.

Marlow Thames Rotary Club met at Harleyford Golf Club on May 31 and handed out the donations to 11 different local, national and international charities including Headway South Bucks and Wycombe Homeless Connection.

The donations were made possible through a host of fundraising events held in Marlow and the surrounding areas, including the Marlow Santa Fun Run and the Cookham Regatta.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Sparkles, Alexander Devine Hospice, Shelterbox, Aquabox, South Bucks Young Person Unit, Sepsis Trust, Macmillan Nurses and the Nepal Earthquake Appeal also benefitted from the cash donations.

With the money donated, Headway South Bucks, which provides support and services to those coping with brain injuries and damage, have already bought a large format iPad to help with neurological rehabilitation, ranging from brainteaser games and developing motor, visual and vocal skills.  

Jane Clarke, Chairman of Headway in Bucks, said: “This valuable tool will benefit HSB in a number of ways. Firstly, it will give recovering clients the opportunity to re-gain or learn IT skills, and use these to promote curiosity, support interests, and aid communications.”

Another beneficiary is the Wycombe Homeless Connection, a charity which is now in its tenth year.

In the last twelve months, WYHOC has helped 460 people who are homeless or at severe risk, and provided night shelter amounting to 857 bed nights for 41 individuals.

A support centre is open every weekday morning and, in just the first three months of this year, offered 798 instances of one-to-one support.

Richard Hockly, Marlow Thames Rotary President, said: “Our annual awards evening is a key event in our calendar. As a Club we raise nearly £20,000 for charity each year, and provide support to many deserving causes throughout each 12 months.

“The awards evening allows us to meet with some of the charities we support, and to present to some organisations for the very first time.”