Arun chairman’s night is a Wilde occasion

And the appeal worked wonders, as Arun District Council chairman Dennis Wilde saw his event, at the Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, raise £1,130 for his chosen charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

The money was raised through a raffle, prize draw, auction and collection among the guests as the sell-out event. They included the High Sheriff of West Sussex David Tupper, chairmen and mayors from across Sussex, Arun’s deputy leader Roger Elkins, the council’s new chief executive Nigel Lynn and other senior councillors and officers.

Joining them were representatives of local businesses, charities, voluntary organisations and ex-service groups, together with Gazette editor Roger Green and the paper’s group editor Colin Channon. The money raised will be added to funds generated at the chairman’s events throughout his civic year.

Dennis said: “I must say a huge thank-you to all my guests for their generosity on Saturday and, indeed, throughout my year in office, I’m sincerely grateful for their contributions.

“I would also like to thank all those who made donations and who provided raffle prizes including Butlin’s, the Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, councillors Adam Cunard and John Charles, officers at Arun, honorary alderman and others. My particular thanks, though, must go to Lynn Haymes, the chairman’s PA, who organised this, and all my events for my year of office.

“I am thrilled that, thanks to the generosity of my guests, we were able to raise £1,130 for my chosen charity. Macmillan Cancer Support provides support to both cancer sufferers and their families and in so many ways, through specialist nursing, financial advice, emotional support and much more.

“It was both a pleasure and a privilege to host this charity fund-raiser and I will look back on this and other civic events with great fondness.”

Dennis will be hosting his final reception on April 4 at the Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton, when he will present a cheque to Macmillan Cancer Support for the funds raised during his term of office.