Archive Search Page

Seen at the presentation are, Colin Crompton (front), Mr J Moorwood (deputy director of the Social services department), Councillor Mrs Ennis, Mr Duxbury and Mr R Fell (administrative assistant in the department).
Smoking might be harmful to your health, but Burnley bingo players have found a useful way of using cigarette coupons. More than 60,000 of them have been handed in at the Empire Bingo Hall to provide two chairs for a new recreation centre for the handicapped. Colin Crompton, the comedian, handed the first one over on Friday, and the second one is due in a few weeks. The Chairmobile, designed by Lord Snowden and sponsored by the Sunday Mirror, was received by Councillor Mrs Sarah Ennis of Burnley Town Council’s Personal Services Group of Committees. She told the 800 bingo fans in the hall at the presentation “I have heard a lot about the generosity of people who play bingo and the way you have rallied round to provide these Chairmobiles has been really marvellous.” She said they would be used at the Temple Street Recreation Centre for the handicapped, expected to be opened this summer. “It is a marvellous place and even the local authority and others involved in the planning had no idea that it would be so grand. We have not much money and we can only get so much from rates and taxes. But people like you help to provide the extras, and this is what you have done so well. I would like you all to come and have a look at the new centre, but not all at once.”
As well as the cigarette coupons, about 10 tons of waste paper has been collected at the club to help raise the “206 needed to buy the chairs.. Mr Ken Duxbury, club manager said that members had taken a keen interest in the project, and enough coupons and paper for the first chair had been handed over in two weeks.