HART District Council chairman Tim Southern has thanked the public for their help in his latest fundraising efforts.

Back in May, Mr Southern started a Just Giving page to encourage donations to his two chosen charities during his Civic Year.

And since then, £1,400 has been raised from local residents and businesses.

Mr Southern said: “I would like to thank everyone who donated using the Just Giving website page. It was great to see so many residents and businesses contribute to these well-deserved charities.

“The Just Giving page is just one of the range of activities I will be doing throughout my year to raise funds for my chosen charities.”

At the beginning of July Mr Southern presented £700 to each charity.

The first charity, Parity for Disability, provides help and support for disabled people over the age of 18 and Helene Abbiss from Parity for Disability said: “Parity for Disability’s students are able to access great learning activities, build communication skills and enjoy a good quality of life thanks to the support of the community.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as one of the chairman’s charities and receiving such a generous donation so early on will keep us on top of our service running costs.

“We’re looking forward to the coming year with Mr Southern.”

The second charity of Mr Southern’s choice is the Vine Centre, which provides support to reduce social isolation and improve the quality of life for homeless and vulnerable people aged over 21.

Mags Mercer, CEO of centre said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us through Tim Southern. Our services were accessed over 8,000 times last year and every penny makes a difference.

“We are working with some of the most marginalised and often forgotten in society. Your giving shows us and our clients that people care. Thank you.”

The district council chairman’s next charity next event will be a special dinner on Sunday, October 9, at 7pm at Warbrook House in Eversley.

If any resident would like to attend the chairman’s charity dinner, or has any ideas for an event to raise money for the event, contact the chairman’s secretary on 01252 774143.