SCHOOLBOY Nicholas Hurst is digging deep to raise cash for Horwich Carnival's charity, Shopmobility.

Nicholas, aged 10, who dances with Horwich Morris Men, is planning to spend his school half term holiday doing gardening for neighbours to boost the charity's funds to provide a special scooter for people with disabilities to get round the town.

The project is close to Nicholas' heart for his father, Ian, suffers from asthma and takes advantage of Shopmobility in Bolton.

His mum, Amanda, said that her husband cannot walk a long way and without Shopmobility he would not be able to get round the shops in Bolton.

Nicholas, who lives at Shrewsbury Road, Bolton, helps to do the gardening at home and spent part of his Easter holidays hard at work digging, weeding and moving paving stones. It was then that he decided he would like to do it to raise funds for charity and his mum suggested Shopmobility, which he thought was a great idea.

Nicholas has been dancing with the Horwich Morris Men for five years and will be performing with the group on Carnival Day next weekend. His father, who used to dance, is the leader of the Horwich group and stands at the front calling out the steps.

The Carnival Committee are delighted at the support so far for this year's fund-raising. Last weekend £217 was raised by the Carnival Royalty from the sale of programmes at Tesco supermarket, and local newsagents netted £114 for the charity after running a quiz at the ex-Servicemen's Club.

A group of elderly people who meet every Friday at Horwich Resource Centre have offered to knit blankets for the Shopmobility scheme to keep the users warm in winter.

Carnival Chairman Cllr Mrs Barbara Ronson said: "The fund-raising really seems to have caught the imagination of many groups this year and we hope that a successful scheme can be set up to help people with disabilities in Horwich."

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