ELDERLY members of a Helston charity had their prayers answered this week when the gift of a brand new minibus brought to an end a decade-long struggle to raise funds towards improved transport for senior citizens across the town.

Hard-working members of Helston Age Concern have been battling for many years to raise the thousands of pounds needed to buy a new minibus.

Still only half-way towards that goal, their struggles were suddenly over on Saturday, when local business, the Helston Garages Group, handed over a new 14-seat minibus, complete with tail lift and other adaptations for elderly passengers.

Age Concern treasurer Edna Angove said everyone involved with the charity owed a huge debt of gratitude to the company, and in particular to owner David Carr, and his wife, Betty, who had instigated the gift.

"We cannot thank them enough," said Mrs Angove. "We have been struggling for so long to try and buy a new bus and it is amazing to suddenly have one after all this time. Most of us are senior citizens and we are heaving a huge sigh of relief that this struggle is over."

The fundraising campaign was launched back in the mid-1990s by the late Joyce Arnell and pursued with vigour by former Age Concern chairman Frank Houghton, who died in April last year.

At the minibus hand-over on Saturday, Age Concern vice-chairman Bill Bond said if Mr Houghton was watching from on high he was probably "rubbing his hands with glee."

The fund was boosted by a £10,000 donation to Age Concern England to be used for the people of Helston, and by a sizeable contribution from the Mayor's Welfare Fund last year when Nick Martin held office.

For more on this story see this week's Helston Packet