Every pound counts for Shakers

Bury businesses, schools, individuals and a host of other fund raisers have really gone to town to collect much-needed cash for the beleaguered Gigg Lane club.

They have responded brilliantly to the SOS appeal to support the Gigg Lane club in its hour of need.

Pupils in many of the borough's schools wore their Bury FC shirt to lessons and paid £1 for the privilege.

And Bury College is following suit in a fashion today (March 15) by staging a "Casual Friday" event.

Lecturers and support staff will be able to wear jeans or casual dress for a donation to the Save Our Shakers fund.

Students wearing Bury FC shirts will collect donations during the day and all the cash will be handed over to the club.

Director of personnel at the college, Alison Todd, said: "Casual Friday is a fun way to raise money for our local club, in which everyone can participate. It would be a great tragedy and a very sad day for Bury if we lost the Shakers. We are trying to do our bit and hope that our contribution helps Bury FC to survive."

Bury Times advertising executive Joanna Levison has raised more than £100 in her local pub, the Duke of Wellington in Westhoughton. And it was thanks to the generosity of Bolton, Huddersfield and Manchester United fans.

The Expressions Card Shop in Princess Parade, Bury, is raffling off a signed Bury FC football. And for every Bury FC card bought, the shop will give 25p to the Save Our Shakers fund.

In neighbouring Manchester, make-up artist Nicola Hiles has played a beauty. She works at the Pure Beauty salon in the city's King Street.

Nicola, who hails from the Bury area, collected money from customers and other shops in the street.

Staff and pupils at St Stephen's primary school in Bury were spot on when they raised £170 for the Shakers.

The school staged a sponsored penalty shoot-out on Tuesday.

Each of the eight teachers went between the sticks as their class pupils tried to put the ball past them. Around 200 youngsters took part.

Teacher Miss Laura Hoyle said: "The children donated 50p to wear their soccer kit and a further 50p to take part in the penalty shoot-out.

"We think the teachers came off best, but I'm biased. But the pupils were impressed by some of the saves we made."

And yesterday (Thurs March 14), pupils from Derby High and Elton High schools took time out to visit Gigg Lane where they handed over their fund-raising cash.

Derby High School collected £520 when each class bought their own Bury FC seats as part of the successful sponsorship scheme.

Not to be outdone, pupils at Elton High adopted the same scheme and raised £510.

Pupils from both schools were able to sit in the stand and to try their seats for size as well as meeting Bury FC players.

A leading Bury company certainly means business when it comes to helping save the Shakers.

Vehicle leasing company First National Vehicle Holdings (FNVH) got behind Bury FC by organising a dress down day for staff.

Passionate Bury supporter and customer support account manager at FNVH, Gareth Ellis said: "When I heard that Bury FC was floundering, I was determined that, as a local company, we should do something to help.

"We have held dress down days for charity before and staff are usually delighted to have the opportunity to swap their suits for jeans for the day."

He added: "Even staff who are not football fans have been more than happy to pay a pound to dress down so we are optimistic of a good cash total to give to the club."

All 400 staff at First National's headquarters at Castlebrook Business Park, Pilsworth, were offered the opportunity to dress down on for a minimum donation and many of them used the occasion to show off their Bury FC kit.

Supporters are also organising a raffle --giving away tickets to Bury FC as the top prizes to help get the club back on track.

Another sought-after prize is to win the use of a Toyota car for a weekend.

As yet, the company have not determined how much will be raised overall.

First National Vehicle Holding, chief executive, James Sturt-Scobie said: "There is a strong team spirit at First National so I am not at all surprised that staff wanted to get behind their local FC in their time of trouble."

Staff at Asda's Pilsworth store will soon have a new "aisle".... of seats at Gigg Lane that is!

They've raised £310 for the club's "buy-a-seat" scheme.

And one of the leaders of Asda's fund raising efforts is the store's health and safety co-ordinator Mrs Jacqui Sorfleet, whose son Gordon is Bury FC's press officer.

She admitted: "To be honest, I can't stand watching football. But I just had to support Gordon and the club."

The store hopes to raise addditional money for the Save Our Shakers fund in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, an on-line auction of soccer memorabilia is poised to "net" Bury as much as £2,500.

For the past three days, bids have been made for 46 items which have been offered for sale.

The highest bid to date is £425 for a signed England shirt, donated by Phil Neville.

Others which have been placed include £205 for an autographed Liverpool jersey.

A host of footballing souvenirs, including programmes to an inflatable black pudding, have come under the Internet "hammer".

One of the items is the first-ever Shakers supplement, published by the Bury Times in 1994.

Club press officer Gordon Sorfleet, who manages the Bury FC website, said: "The auction could raise £2,500 and hopefully with additional items that amount could rise to £3,000. We've had more than 600 'hits' so far."

Gordon is organising another on-line auction and has appealed for fans or anyone else with money-spinning soccer memorabilia to bring these down to Gigg Lane.

"I've just received a programme for Bury's first floodlit game in 1953. And then, someone else came in with a ticket for that same match."

Well done to everyone and keep the pounds and pennies rolling in!