The former Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr Gareth Jones, has presented a cheque to charity Mencap following a successful fundraising events during his year in office.

Cllr Jones nominated Mencap, which supports those with learning disabilities and additional need, as his mayor's charity, and has now presented a cheque to Tim Malins, chair of the Mid Dorset Mencap Group, at their charity and coffee shop in Trinity Street, Dorchester.

Cllr Jones thanked the people of Dorchester who gave willingly at events during his term of office to raise the sum of £2,539.51.

He also said how impressed he was with the progress that had been made by Mid Dorset Mencap to create a safe haven for people to meet and socialise.

Secretary of the group, Mervyn Harris, said: "We were bowled over by the size of the award which was made possible by generous donations from the kind people of Dorchester and from contributions from groups and events such as the Casterbridge Rotary Club, Beerex, the Lions Club, the BID, the cider festival and others, as well as the mayor's own fundraising activities.

"This grant will be a huge help and will allow us to start work on a community garden to the rear of the building which will become part of our café space."

The group, after a great deal of hard work by volunteers and other supporters, is progressing well with its plans to expand the services it offers.

In a few months it will be offering ASDAN courses in retail and basic food preparation to local adults with learning disabilities.

The group is always looking for further support and is always pleased to talk to people who may be interested in becoming a trustee or volunteer.

Anyone interested should contact Mid Dorset Mencap Group by emailing [email protected]