FOLLOWING Airedale NHS Foundation Trust’s Consultant Surgeon, Mr Raj Rao’s plea for help in raising money for equipment to help India in its plight against the COVID virus, the Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale put their shoulder to the wheel and held a collection at Ilkley Tesco.

A spokesman for the Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale said: “Over and over again Tesco have allowed the Rotarians to have a collection at their premises in Ilkley whenever there has been a serious crisis in the world and this was no exception.

“Also, as usual, the people of Ilkley and its surroundings showed their usual amazing generosity.

“The Club has topped up the amount raised at the collection and £2,000 has been transferred to the Bangalore Cantonment Rotary Trust but this is not the end of the story.

“Due to further private donations there is a further £1,300 plus due to be transferred to the Bangalore Rotary Club.

“The advantage of using Rotary Clubs in the area where help will be distributed is that this incurs no management charges and all the monies go to the cause. In this case the only extra charges incurred were bank transfer charges which the Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale has absorbed from its reserves.

“Although the money may appear to be a drop in the ocean for what is needed it could still buy over fifty Pulse Oximeters or three CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Machines with some change left over. Other Rotary Clubs in the Dales Region have also been donating to various regions of India and overall it could be that Rotary will make a real difference to these struggling regions of India.”

As reported earlier Mr Rao explained: “India has selflessly helped the world with vaccination supplies and it needs our help now.

“The equipment we are seeking to fund is essential to help care for patients who are desperately ill.

“It could mean the difference between life and death.” On top of the money being transferred from the Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale, Mr Rao himself has raised approaching £10,000 through his own GoFundMe page.