THE Rotary Club of Ilkley has presented £6,200 to the Nell Bank Centre.

The money was raised from the club’s annual Holly Ball and quiz night and will help to ensure all children living in Bradford and Leeds have the opportunity to experience the Ilkley outdoor centre.

Rotary’s Holly Ball in 2018 was attended by 200 people and was raising money for The Nell Bank Centre assisted place scheme. The centre provides outdoor learning experiences for over 20,000 children each year. Nell Bank has developed the assisted places scheme to ensure children who would otherwise not be able to visit Nell Bank have the opportunity to do so. It is designed to support schools and community groups who want to address inequality, support disadvantage and ensure that as many of their children as possible have an opportunity to experience outdoor learning experiences at the centre. The scheme also reflects the challenging financial landscape faced by schools and community groups and seeks to secure opportunities for all children to learn outside of the classroom in order to raise educational attainment and aspirations.

Money raised at the ball through wine sale profits also benefited The Friends of Kings Hall. The group received £820 which will be used to help to keep the valuable community asset for Ilkley vibrant and ongoing.

Companies who supported the Holly Ball included: Lishmans who supplied the topside of beef; Jeremy Bloomfield Jewellers, B & T Building Supplies, Skipton Hire Centres, Green Room Florists, The Wheatley Hotel, Audley Clevedon, Ragdoll Pudsey, Café J Reserve, Bettys, Taylors Tea, Addingham Fruit Liqueurs, Mortens, Devonshire Arms & Bolton Abbey Estate, Anne Hawkesworth & Martinez Fine Wines.

This year’s Holly Ball will take place on Saturday December 14, 2019 at The King’s Hall and Winter Garden.

A bumper full house year of 24 teams of four completed for The Andrew Hartley Trophy at The Annual Rotary Business Charity Quiz Night which is now in its 26th year.

It raised £1200 for charity. The quiz is sponsored by Ison Harrison Solicitors and takes place at Ilkley Rugby Club with Menston Caterers. Raffle Prizes were donated by the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton, The Wheatley Hotel, Ison Harrison, York Brewery Tours and John Shaw Surveyors plus Rotarians.

President David Shaw said: “The Rotary Club of Ilkley is immensely proud of raising such marvellous sums for local good causes and remains at the heart of our wonderful Ilkley community. We thank especially Chris Woodhead, Peter Settle and Geoff Maldwyn Jones. And we look forward to our New Friends of Rotary Scheme in Ilkley which will be launched on Wednesday, March 6 at The Dalesway Hotel at 12 noon.”

More information is available from David Shaw 07740 797 281 or davidshawmbe@outlook.com