Age Concern Wiltshire’s Big 60 Appeal has been boosted by a generous donation of $5,000 from a resident in the United States.

The donor had heard much of Age Concern’s work in Wiltshire via letters and phone calls from a relative who works with the charity and decided to allocate part of their employee gift fund, The Atlantic Philanthropies Director and Employees Designated Gift Fund, to support the 60th Anniversary Appeal.

Age Concern Wiltshire’s director, Liddy Davidson, said: “We are so grateful for all of the support that we have received for the appeal so far.

“We are particularly excited, however, that news of our work has spread ‘across the pond’ to the USA.

“I understand that the donor received regular news of our work from her relative Mrs Jean Collens (who is one of our trustees) and so, when she became eligible for her employee charity gift fund, she immediately thought of us.

“This, and all of the contributions received in support of the 60th Appeal, will help us to make a real difference to the lives of more older people in the county in the future.”

Closer to home, local fundraisers are taking up the Big 60 Challenge. A Christmas fair due to be held at Matoh Lock House, St Joseph’s Place, Devizes yesterday was raising funds for the appeal.

And charity organiser Carol Webb has said that the proceeds of the dance she is organising at the Devizes Conservative Club on Saturday featuring the London rock group The Flames will go to the Big 60 Appeal.

Ms Webb has organised fundraising dances at the Conservative Club for some years. In 2006 she organised a dance featuring the rock’n’ roll tribute band Red Alert to raise funds for the Gazette’s Dorothy House Hospice campaign.

It was in memory of Devizes bar manager Donna Adams, who died at Dorothy House after battling cancer. The money from the event went into a Tulip Fund in Miss Adams’ name.

The dance this Saturday, for which, sadly, all tickets have now been sold, is very much in the same vein as that first one.

Ms Webb said: “Devizes residents are going to be in for a real treat when The Flames take to the stage in aid of Age Concern Wiltshire’s Big 60 appeal.

“It is a real taste of nostalgia from one of the most popular musical eras.”