By Pamela McGowan

Published at 11:27, Thursday, 05 April 2012

An adventure charity for the disabled received a total £14,000 from the Wainwright Society as a result of its fundraising throughout 2011.

The Lake District Calvert Trust, which is based in Bassenthwaite, was chosen as the society’s main beneficiary from its various fundraisers.

The charity was set up in 1974 to enable people with disabilities to benefit from outdoor activities in the countryside. Activities include swimming, climbing, abseiling, sailing, horse riding and walking.

The aim is to enable people to see beyond their disability and achieve their true potential, getting them out and about in the countryside that members of the Wainwright Society value so highly.

Its activities are open to both residential visitors and members of the Cumbrian community. The Bassenthwaite centre recently opened a new £3.7 million water centre, which was officially launched by the Countess of Wessex in November last year. It features more advanced facilities, enabling use by people with even the most severe disabilities.

The Wainwright Society’s donation will help to support the ongoing work of the trust, enabling as many people as possible to experience the benefits of the Lake District landscape and undertake physical and intellectual challenges outside their day-to-day lives.

The majority of funds came from the Wainwright Society 2012 calendar, which raised over £10,000.

Members taking part in their annual challenge raised more than £2,000.

Society chairman Eric Robson and calendar team member Jenny Whalley handed over the £14,000 cheque to Calvert Trust centre director Sean Day at the society’s annual meeting on Saturday.

Centre director Sean Day said:”We need over £300,000 per year to keep the centre running. We try to keep the costs for our disabled visitors as low as possible. Funds like this are essential to us because the fundraising environment is so hard at the moment.

“Everyone is finding the same so any funds are fantastic and essential to keep the centre running.”

He added that the money would be used to pay for an instructor for the coming year.

The Lake District Calvert Trust has been working with the Wainwright Society for the past year.

Mr Day said it had been a really good year of partnership and that there were many parallels between the two organisation.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk