Last updated 16:00, Wednesday, 23 July 2008
CLEATOR Moor's ‘songbird' Annie Mawson enthralled 127 guests who celebrated the Charter Night for the Rotary Club of Whitehaven.
Left to right; Rotary District governor, Tony Parrini; secretary and past president David Allan; mayoress Freda Hitchen, Mayor Keith Hitchen; new president Gordon Southward, Annie Mawson, vice-president David Saxon (behind); president 2007 Paul Turner, second vice-president Paul Berry (behind) and assistant district governor, Jack Hobbs, from Keswick.
Annie Mawson played her harp and explained how she started her Sunbeams music trust in 1992 to use music to unlock the minds of children and adults with special needs.
She told of the amazing breakthrough's achieved including one young patient who had been mute for over ten years and had suddenly started to speak again after one of the Sunbeam's visits.
It was the Rotary club's 85th charter night at Hunday Manor as retiring president Paul Turner handed over to incoming president Gordon Southward.
Gordon had by pure coincidence chosen the Sunbeams as his chosen charity, something that guest and newly chosen district governor for the North West's district 1190, Tony Parrini MBE had also selected as his charity.
Guests donated over £750 towards the Annie Mawson Sunbeams trust on the evening. Twenty Rotary clubs attended, from as far away as Solihull and Clitheroe to mark the Whitehaven charter event. Among the special guests were the Mayor of Copeland coun Keith Hitchen and mayoress Freda Hitchen.