A ROTARY club is hoping to turn a donation of office furniture into thousands of pounds to help charitable causes across the district.

The Rotary Club of St Ives says it has ambitious plans for the money it expects to raise from the sale of more than 240 pieces of office equipment and furniture.

The donation came after the closure of Accuri Cytometers on St Ives Industrial Estate, following the company’s acquisition by Becton Dickinson.

General manager Alex Adams came up with the win-win suggestion of donating the items to the rotary club – avoiding disposal fees and boosting the club’s coffers at the same time.

Club secretary Moira Penney described the sale as a “golden opportunity” for companies looking to save up to 75 per cent on the cost of new office equipment – as well as desks and chairs, the collection includes fridges, flipcharts, fans and footrests.

Mrs Penney said: “A lot of the furniture is skipped in these situations, but it is still in excellent condition.

“The money raised will help with our local projects – some of them cost a lot of money, and we cannot plan them without knowing the funds are coming in. The money raised through the sale is going to be a huge plus for us.”

Usually the club relies on its annual staples, such as the Slepe Hall fashion show, Christmas Carol Float, or auction of promises, to fund its activities. A similar office sale four years ago raised more than �7,000 for the club.

Mrs Penney added: “The money raised will be distributed among our projects and will allow us to develop very ambitious plans over the next year. It’s a weight off our minds.”

Those plans include an over-60s lunchtime club, where people can meet and socialise, which has already won support from many venues in the town, and the club’s traditional array of local, national and international charities.

The club also sends children on Outward Bound courses to develop leadership and team-building skills and sponsors individuals for dance and drama school.

INFORMATION: The catalogue of items is available to view from Moira Penney on 01480 300194 or by e-mailing moira@mercatius.com