Festive tour a money spniner

More than �4,500 has been raised for local good causes during the Dereham and District Round Table's annual festive tour.

During December the Round Table, along with Santa and his sleigh, toured Dereham, Mattishall, Shipdham and Robertson Barracks in Swanton Morley to spread seasonal cheer and raise funds to help local groups and people in need.

The later collections were hampered by severe weather conditions and the final collection in the Middlemarch area of Toftwood on December 23 had to be cut short.

Round Table community services liaison officer David Westgate said: 'We are pleased to be able to report that we raised a magnificent total of �4,677 which will all go directly to local charities and other good causes.

'We would particularly like to thank Tesco and all those friends of Dereham and District Round Table who helped out with driving and collecting.'

Dereham and District Ladies Circle also had to cut short its sleigh collections. Chairman Liz Drew said: 'Even though we only had one evening's collection, we still managed to raise �240, which I feel was a very good effort bearing in mind the weather.'

Mark Older, chairman of Dereham and District Round Table, thanked the man known as 'Hungarian Steve', who lives on St George's Drive, Toftwood, and has supplied the group with refreshments for many years. This year he received a signed photograph of Santa in his sleigh surrounded by his Round Table helpers.

To apply for funding from Dereham and District Round Table or to join the Round Table email chairman Mark Older at chairman@derehamroundtable.org.uk

For more details about the group's sister organisation, Dereham and District Ladies' Circle, email chairman Liz Drew at lizjreid@hotmail.com

For Round Table information visit www.derehamroundtable.org.uk