An anonymous £2,000 donation has moved the fundraising ‘bunometer’ up another level for Ilkley’s Clarke Foley Centre.

Manager of the over-50’s centre, Judith Ellis, discovered the cheque when she opened the mail last week.

The Centre is raising funds to install automatic doors at both entrances to the building because the current doors are very heavy for people to open without help.

She said: “We need £21,000 for the doors themselves and a further £20,000 to modify the front entrance so we can install them. “Thanks to this very generous donation, and a couple of other very kind gifts we already have £5,000.

“The Centre staff and Directors are particularly encouraged when people make gifts like this which are both an endorsement of the Centre’s ethos and work as well as practical support for the project. We believe it’s important to be equally accessible for all people including those who use wheelchairs and walking aids.”

The Centre, on Cunliffe Road, is marking its fundraising achievement on a ‘Bunometer’ on the wall in the Café.

This pyramid of buns was created by the Centre’s art classes.

Twenty-one windows show blank buns each representing £1,000. A blank bun is replaced with an individual and beautifully decorated bun each time £1,000 is reached.

Many of the 1,650 people who use the Centre each week are contributing with events such as a table top sale and a Victorian tea room.

Darren Hodgson of Harrogate Dance Centre will hold a 13 day dance festival in June with proceeds going to the Automatic Doors Fund.

A three-day Flower Festival, with arrangements representing Yorkshire towns and villages on the route of Le Tour, is being staged by Ilkley Flower Club on July 4 to 6.

“Everyone’s doing their bit”, said chairman, William Varley. We have a full programme of interesting and fun events planned and we hope to be installing the doors by the end of the year.”