THE £10,000 windfall for the Bury Tandem Club for the Visually Handicapped will steer the organisation to financial security for the next two years.

A delighted honorary fundraiser, Mr Peter Carr, said the grant was the biggest-ever cash donation the club had received in its 18-year history.

The club was launched in 1987 and today has ten blind and 30 sighted members.

It regularly funds the maintenance of its 19 tandems and one triple bike as well as having to meet the costs of ensuring all members are kitted out.

About the Gannett Foundation grant, Mr Carr said: "This is just superb. I'm over the moon and can't believe we were given such a large amount. When I've told colleagues, I've asked them to sit down first."

He has been involved with the club for 17 years but three years ago, at the age of 64, was forced to give up riding after suffering a heart attack. Not surprisingly, the club spends a lot of money each year in making sure that all the machines are in tip-top condition.

He explained "Our tandems have a fairly good lifespan. But the stresses that these machines take can be huge when you've got two people pushing it along at speeds of between 15mph and 20mph uphill and downhill and over all types of terrain.

"Every five years, a tandem is taken off the road, stripped down and all the paint taken off and the welds checked and X-rayed. The tandems are then completely rebuilt, using 90 per cent brand new parts. Any parts that are in a reasonable condition are put to one side and used as general spares."

The club harnesses the services of a part-time mechanic costing around £3,000 a year - the amount street collections and other fundraising activities bring in each year.

Mr Carr said: "Annual running costs expenditure is around £6,000. The Gannett Foundation grant will go towards paying our mechanic's costs completely for the next two years and the remainder being used for spares for one year."

He added: "We got turned down for a Lottery grant and an Orange grant. Thankfully, though, we managed to raise enough money last year to cover our expenses and to even make a slight profit. And thanks to the Gannett Foundation grant, we've got enough funding for the next two years.

"And that is without touching any of the other money which we are still going to raise. To receive £10,000 was just magnificent, given we had only applied for between £1,500 and £2,000."

Anyone wishing to join the club, either as a blind or sighted member, can contact president Mr Derek Pritchard on 764 1239.