Kettering Rotary Club donates £3,000 to Age UK Northamptonshire

The Rotary Club of Kettering Huxloe have donated £3,000 to Age UK Northamptonshire's emergency Covid-19 appeal.

The huge donation will support the elderly in Kettering where Age UK Northamptonshire will be delivering hot meals and essential food and cleaning products.

Andre Carnell, chair of community and vocational committee at the club, said: "We chose to donate £3,000 to Age UK Northamptonshire because they are a locally registered and funded charity.

"We know that the money will be used to help the older people in Kettering to maintain a normal life during this difficult period.

"We don't want people to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Age UK Northamptonshire is ensuring older people have essential food, but also support for their wellbeing."

The funds were raised by events throughout 2019, like a raffle and auction held at the club's annual charity dinner.

In the last year, the Rotary Club of Kettering Huxloe have donated almost £20,000 to local causes.

The donation to the emergency Covid-19 appeal comes as Age UK Northamptonshire's paid-for-services pause and its charity shops have been forced to close.

The charity launched a JustGiving page for an emergency Covid-19 fund to support people across the county. The page has so far raised more than £7,000.

Chris Duff, chief executive of Age UK Northamptonshire, said: "Donations from businesses and individuals are hugely appreciated at this challenging time.

"The work our staff and volunteers are doing across Northamptonshire is helping to keep people safe and protect the NHS.

"With this kind of donation from the Rotary Club of Kettering Huxloe, we are able to ensure older people get the food and support they need to avoid unplanned hospital admissions, which is hugely important.

The appeal is still open to donations via a JustGiving page available here.

Donations of essential food items can be made at the Venton Centre, York Road, Northampton, NN1 5QG. To arrange a safe drop off, email [email protected].