Lord Mayor Cllr Lindsley Harvard has handed over thousands of pounds to two Coventry charities

Cllr Harvard served as Lord Mayor of the city for the 12 months until May this year and his two chosen charities were the Alzheimer’s Society and The Cancer Research Unit at the University of Warwick.

He held a number of fundraising events throughout the year and local groups and individuals also showed their support for the charities with sponsored events, collections and donations.

And today he was able to hand over more than £17,000 to be shared between the two good causes.

Cllr Harvard said: “It was such a privilege to be Lord Mayor of our city and there were so many memorable moments, but one of the outstanding highlights for me was being able to support two such wonderful causes.

“Both the charities work so hard and do so much for the people of our city and further afield and I am delighted that we were able to raise such a great amount to further their work.

“Thank you to everyone who offered their support throughout the year – your money will really make a difference.”

One of the major events during the year was the revival of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Ball, held at the Coventry Transport Museum, when 200 guests raised over £7,000.

There was also support from the Freemen’s Guild, who handed over £1,000 raised through sales of the Coventry Medieval Colouring Book. Other events included Leader of the Council, Cllr George Duggins, tackling the Coventry Half Marathon, dress down days at work and craft fairs.

As well as raising cash, the two charities were also delighted that the year had put them in the spotlight and helped make more people aware of the work they do and how they can use donations to help those in need.

Charlotte Maytum, Community Fundraiser at the Warwick Cancer Research Centre, said: ‘We are so grateful to Cllr Harvard and all the businesses, organisations and individuals who supported his charity appeal over the past year and have made this generous donation possible.