LEWANNICK Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) has announced that it has raised £2,300 throughout its 70th year as a group.

The society’s year runs from the beginning of March to the end of February and over the last 12 months it raised that amount through its latest production, Cinderella’s Puss in Boots, which ran for four nights at Lewannick Village Hall from January 17 to 20.

Publicity secretary, Sarah Fry, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the money raised through the panto. To be able to do the panto we also have to do a number of fundraisers and last year we did a treasure hunt, a wine and wisdom and a bingo. The panto itself went really well and we were sold out every night.”

The £2,300 will be split between six charities — The Mermaid Trust, The British Heart Foundation and four smaller Cornish charities for the blind, including CRAB (Cornwall Rowing Association for the Blind), Bugle Blues Bowling Club, BUGS (Blind Using Guided Site) and and BATS (Blind at Sea).

Sarah continued: “Every year at our AGM we sit down and choose what charities we’d like to support in Cornwall and Devon. We try to pick charities which have affected us or our families, basically ones which someone has a connection with.

“Also at the AGM we sit down and plan the year and what we’re going to do for our fundraisers and then a little bit later on we decide what show we’re going to do.”

At present the society has nearly 30 members and meets every Monday night from October to January at 7.30pm with Thursdays also added into the equation from November onwards.

Cinderella’s Puss in Boots was the society’s 70th edition, which in that time has seen 30 different pantos under 11 directors.

£56,495 has now been raised in total with 23 Cornish charities benefitting, and Sarah wants to say thanks.

She said: “I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who’s participated, attended or supported us in anyway over the last 70 years, we couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s next to the next 70 years.”

If you would like to get involved with the Lewannick Amateur Dramatic Society, email [email protected]