A TOTAL of £9,000 was distributed to good causes by Cowdenbeath Rotary Club on Thursday, mainly thanks to the highly successful ladies day event held in May.

The organisations receiving cheques were, Cowdenbeath Civic Week Committee, Scottish Cancer Research Network, Forgetmenot/Bloodwise, Seescape, West Fife Guide Dogs Fundraising, Care & Share and Prostate Cancer,

Club president, Yolanda Hilton, said: "Each and every one of these groups work with people from the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area helping people with a variety of problems and making their lives better.

"But the distribution of funds would not have been possible but for the excellent support the various fundraisers held received from the public.

"It was really tremendous and our Ladies Day was again a marvellous success and the work done by Marie Shevas in setting the day up and working well was tremendous and we thank her."

Scottish Cancer Research continues to put resources into finding new ways of fighting cancer and continuing to develop and refine the current treatment methods while Prostate Cancer continues to kill men each day in the UK, but Prostate Cancer UK is continuing to develop ways of combatting the disease.

Forgetmenot/Bloodwise is promoted in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area by Lochgelly couple, Willie and Mary Hershaw, and they said that the continued support from the rotary club was important in helping research into blood cancer.

'seescape' is the new operational name of Fife Society for the Blind and optician for the organisation Karen Russell, said on Thursday: "Our commitment to our clients is that we will listen and act according to their needs, campaign for better services for people with a sight impairment; be a catalyst for change, and work in partnership to deliver sustainable projects and the funding from the rotary club is so helpful in making things possible."

The representatives from West Fife Guide Dogs said that it took £55,000 to train a puppy to become a guide dog and then support the animal through its working life helping a blind person see. The importance of a guide dog to a blind person was phenomenal and currently there are four blind people in the West Central Fife area waiting for a dog and the funding was warmly welcomed.

Care&Share is a Kirkcaldy based initiative which is geared to tackling isolation and is expected to moved into the Central Fife area soon.

Cowdenbeath Civic Week Committee's Alex Haddow said that the organisation welcomed the close connection it has with the rotary club and they again thanked the rotarians for their support.

He added: "The role of the committee has extended now to covering most of the year for beyond Civic Week and Gala day we organise the Armistice Day service and the Christmas Lights Switch-on and Concert so fundraising has to go on all the year round."