A NEW £500,000 charity has been set up to help young people in the Harwood area of Bolton after the sale of an historic buidling.

The David Walsh Charity has been formed with cash from the sale of the former Walsh's Institute which closed in 2002.

The impressive stone building at Longsight was the home to many educational classes during its long history and wll now be turned into apartments.

The money from the sale will be ploughed back into the community through the charity.

Mrs Sheila Riley, secretary, said: "The charity is still very new and we are now getting application forms ready.The charity has been set up to benefit the young people of Harwood and district of north Bolton, in pursuit of their studies and generally to benefit inhabitants at the discretion of the Trustees."

The historic hall was built in 1870 by the trustees of the late David Walch - later changed to Walsh by the Trustees - who had inherited the Hardy Mill Cornmill estate.

On his death his friends, one of whom was Charles Darbishire who was the town's first mayor, set up a Trust and decided to build a hall for use as a school or schools, public library and reading room for the "general education, instruction and rational amusement of the inhabitants of the township of Harwood and the neighbourhood."

During the Second World War the Institute was used as an Air Raid Wardens' post. It was used for a variety of classes until the Trustees decided it was to expensive to run and closed it.

To apply to the David Walsh Trust, contact Mrs Riley on Bolton 6301.