News & Notice Board

Vintage Car Weekend Calder Holmes Park August 5th and 6th The Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend has been a popular rally for all motor enthusiasts and, in particular, owners of veteran, vintage and classic vehicles, for over 23 years. The Yorkshire Historic Car Club have developed a reputation for running an interesting and enjoyable event and now the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge have joined with them to help make this year even better than previous years. Throughout the weekend there will be a wide variety of stalls and entertainment on the park including rides and other entertainment for children, live music and catering facilities. The park also has a pitch and put golf course, a bowling green and a children’s play area. There are a number of competition classes, catering for a wide variety of vehicles, as follows: Saturday - Cars 1965 to 1985, Motorcycles 1965 to 1985 Sunday - Vintage Cars up to 1930, Post Vintage Cars 1931 to 1939, Post War Cars 1940to 1965, Motorcycles up to 1965, Commercial Vehicles up to 1965 and Stationary engines. The rally organisers, the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge, are part of a worldwide group, dedicated to helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace. Any profits made from organising the rally will be used by the club to further these aims, by supporting projects in the UK and worldwide. Click here to read more about the Annual Vintage Car weekend.

Local Girl Jo Royle runs to save endangered Moon Bear from life of torture on Chinese Bile Farm

Jo finds novel way to alert community to her cause by enlisting local postal worker known as Postman Pete to help to deliver sponsor forms and leaflets around Hebden Bridge area.
Hebden Bridge 23 May 2006---This June 25th, Jo Royle will be joining the City of Manchester Run to help British Charity, the Animals Asia Foundation, raise money to rescue Manchester, an endangered Chinese Moon bear from his life of hell on a factory farm in China.

She has also persuaded her sister Sarah to run with her and together they need to raise £5500 to rescue the bear they will call “Manchester”. This is an ambitious sum, but Jo believes she can raise the money and that local residents are very compassionate where charity is concerned.

Jo & Sarah are well known in the local area for their charitable activities, Jo volunteering with Youth Action and last year both of them modelling to raised funds for Cancer Research in 'Romanza Underwear Show' and Jo has even made an appearance on BBC’s The Bachelor.

To alert people to her cause Jo has enlisted local Postie Pete. Pete, also known as the ‘running Postie’ has permission to deliver Jo’s ‘save the bear’ sponsor forms to Hebden Bridge residents.

Like many thousands of endangered Moon Bears on factory bile farms, Manchester has never seen the sun, imprisoned in a tiny cage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all he knows is pain and suffering. He is milked for his bile, through a rusting metal catheter inserted in to his gall bladder. The pain is unimaginable. The bears are rescued by British charity, the Animals Asia foundation which rehabilitates and cares for them at their sanctuary in Chengdu, southern China.

The bile is used in some traditional Chinese medicines even though herbal and synthetic alternatives are readily available and equally effacious. It can also be found in shampoo, soap and wine.

Jo said, “Some bears suffer brain damage and terrible injuries from the process, which also results in many dying in agony. Many bang their heads against the cage walls and others chew at their own legs in frustration, many are missing limbs and have been brutally declawed. I was disgusted when I found out and could not believe that this actually goes on in the world and had to do something about it.”

You can sponsor Jo or Sarah by visiting their online fundraising pages on www.justgiving.com / JoRoyle or /SarahRoyle or by looking out for one of the sponsor forms delivered by Postman Pete later in the month.

Jo said, “Anyone who loves animals will want to help as much as I do. I hope the local people will show their support for the Moon Bears and sponsor me if they can. Even a few pounds will make a huge difference to this lovely bear’s life.