MEMBERS of Darwen’s oldest karate club have held a non-stop sparring session for a worthy cause.

The event was held to celebrate chief instructor Andy Allwood’s 25 years in karate and raise funds for Derian House Hospice.

The hour long non-stopping sparring event was held in May but Pat Heron, a volunteer at Derian House, was invited to Tower Shukokai to accept a cheque.

The club raised a total of £1,115.30 – more than twice the amount raised in last year’s event – for its adopted charitable cause.

A total of 18 members took part in the event and prizes were awarded to those members who raised the largest amount.

Adult member, Andrew French, raised £400 – the highest individual amount – while 12-year-old Ryan McFarlane received the prize for the most raised by a junior member, having collected £40.

Derian House was founded in the 1980s by the parents of two terminally ill children, Derek and Ian. The current premises in Chorley opened in 1993 and cares for children with life-threatening illnesses, from birth to 21-years-old.

It is hoped the money raised by the karate club will go towards a teenage unit for the centre.

The hospice receives 98 per cent of its funding from charitable donations and will be holding an open day in June 2009.

Allwood, who is a founder member of the club is a fifth dan black belt in the Shukokai style of karate and has been practicing karate in Darwen and Bolton since 1983.

Tower Shukokai is Darwen’s oldest karate club, having been established by Allwood in 1988.

The club trains at at Edgworth School on Mondays and Saturdays and at Darwen Vale School on Fridays.

The syllabus encompasses traditional Japanese karate, street-effective self defence and sport, and is suitable for all ages, male and female.