Despite not having had a face to face meeting since March 12 or being able to do any face to face fundraising, Helston Rotary Club has still been able to hand out over £5,000 to needy causes in the past year.

Income from legacies has enabled to the club to hand out a total of £5,470 to local needy causes since the start of the pandemic in March.

"We've not had a Rotary meeting face to face since the 12th of March," said club member Mick Timpson. "But we have still been meeting electronically - by email at first and latterly by Zoom. Though we haven't been able to be out and about helping people on a personal basis or indeed doing much fund-raising, we've been busy. Luckily for us we have some income from legacies which were kindly bestowed upon us some years ago and we have been able to distribute those monies to various needy causes.

"Since March last year we have given out a total of £5470."

Project benefitting from the club's generosity include the Butterfly Wood Project - £250, Helston Town Band uniform fund - £500, Callum Timpson marathon for Cornwall Hospice Care - £100, Dawlish Rotary Club Sand Dams Project - £250, Kingsbridge Rotary Rotaproj (days out for handicapped children) - £100, Gunwalloe Defibrillator - £150, Cornwall Air Ambulance - £1000, Rotary Foundation Polio Plus - £250, Helston Community College Interact Club - £50, Anna Harrison Wheelchair donation - £1000, Helston Climate Action Group - £250, Helston Christmas Lights - £250, Helston Friendship Group - £220, Friends of Helston Community Hospital - £300, Helston Age Concern - £300, ShelterBox - £500.

"The legacies we were given have been invested and we give away the interest as it accumulates (though not so much nowadays!)," said Mr Timpson. "The benefactors wanted to leave us the money so that we could help others in need and we are fortunate indeed to have this money as we've not been able to raise any by holding local events, except for the Helston CIC Christmas Fare where we dispensed mulled wine, mulled apple juice and mince pies."