13th February 1953
GENEROUS HELP FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

Generous help from local districts for those who have suffered in the floods, which have ravished the East Coast has quickly been forthcoming, in money, clothing and bedding.

By Wednesday morning, the fund opened by the Mayor of Pontefract, Alderman F.D. Leach, stood at £309. Members of the Pontefract Round Table collected nearly £165 at cinemas in the town during the week and large quantities of clothing, bedding and other comforts have been sent from collecting centres.

On Saturday and Monday the Mayoress, Mrs C.W.D. Leach, received gifts of clothing and bedding at the Town Hall, and twelve large cartons were filled. She described the response to her appeal as magnificent and said it "Far exceeded her expectations." She is confident that the many and varied useful articles will bring much needed comfort to the recipients.

On the same two days, and also on Friday, over half-a-ton of similar gifts were handled by members of the Pontefract St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. A collecting centre was established at the Market Place shop of Eric England Ltd., and each day from yesterday week there was a steady stream of people with parcels of clothing and comforts. By Tuesday about a ton of clothing had been packed into cartons at the shop and dispatched. Large quantities of clothing have also been received by the Women's Voluntary Services, in Beastfair. In many cases the clothing given has been new or comparatively new,

The £165 collected by the Round Table was increased to £200 by a collection and a donation from the organisation’s funds. A collecting box outside the Pontefract Parish Church had realised about £15 by Tuesday and £13/18/- was raised by collections at All Saint’s Church on Sunday, and by a donation from the church youth club. On Saturday, the Chorister’s Parent’s Association of the Parish Church raised over £11 by a dance and a supper in the Parish Hall.

Many of the 250 employees of South Yorkshire Motors Ltd, at Pontefract and Wakefield, agreed to weekly deductions from their wages. Contributions totalled £86/2/- and the firm has more than doubled this total and sent cheques for £100 each to the funds opened by the Mayors of Pontefract and Wakefield.

The Castleford Choral Union is organising a performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’, which will be given in March, when several well-known principles will appear and all proceeds will be given to the flood appeal fund.