LAST year’s Lord Mayor has handed over a cheque of more than £43,000 raised for a mental health charity through the Lord Mayor’s appeal.

Councillor Geoff Reid presented the cheque, for £43,354.88, to Jane Case, northern hub manager at YoungMinds, a charity which raises awareness of mental health problems in children and young people.

He was accompanied by Lady Mayoress Chris Reid and Howard Middleton, the Lord Mayor’s Appeal coordinator.

The figure was raised through a wide range of fundraising events organised by the Lord Mayor throughout his tenure, as well as a raft of donations.

Cllr Reid, who has since returned to his work as a Lib Dem Councillor in Eccleshill after handing on his civic uniform and chains to the current Lord Mayor Cllr Abid Hussain, said he wants to offer his”heartfelt thanks” to everyone who supported the appeal.

He said: “During the Civic Year I was greatly encouraged by the number of people who spontaneously told me they were glad that we had chosen YoungMinds.

“Most had clearly experienced the impact of young people’s mental health issues at close quarters and the length of time that it took for them to be seen by service providers.

“Once again there was a significant contribution from the Dragonboat Festival weekend and it was great that Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Alun Griffiths was able to get himself selected for sponsorship in the London Marathon.

“We enjoyed sharing in a wonderful variety of fundraising events. I was proud of the way that Chris fulfilled her duties at the Lady Mayoress’s Lunch.

“Former Lord Mayors were generous in their attendance on special occasions, notably at the Curry Club overseen by Cllr Dale Smith. Above all my Appeal Chair, Howard Middleton, kept us on track with great skill and wisdom.”

Jane Case, from YoungMinds, said: “YoungMinds would like to congratulate the people of Bradford for this wonderful donation.

“It has been a privilege to have worked with the Lord Mayor’s team to increase the profile of YoungMinds and the work it does in Bradford.

“Over the last year the demand for the Parents Helpline has increased significantly 2016 to 2017 across the UK and by 20 per cent in Bradford.

“The work and dedication of the Lord Mayor’s team and the Dragonboat Festival organisers has been an inspiration, which has resulted in this amazing contribution”.

Picking out some of the highlight from his year in civic duty, Cllr Reid picked out the Dragonboat Festival, his Curry Clubs and the world record attempt in City Park as favourites.

He said: “In terms of volume of contribution, the Dragonboat Festival was something special, especially taking part and being carried in a boat by a team of firemen.

“Being in the middle of the crowds in City Park for the world record attempt was also good fun.

“The Curry Clubs went very well, we had a good variety of restaurants, in particular the Curry Cottage in Silsden, which is a hidden gem.

“The Methodist Church was also very generous with its donations, Baildon gave us the collection from its carol service which was hundreds of pounds.”

Ms Case thanked the Lord Mayor for raising awareness of the charity and its services, and urged any parents with concerns over the mental wellbeing of their children or other young people to call the helpline on 0808 8025544.