TWO charities have been presented with cheques after being nominated for David’s Bookshop and The Comet’s community award.

Mind Yourself and Hitchin Helping Hands were declared the winners of the award, and each received a �300 donation yesterday (Monday).

Both will now be featured in The Comet throughout this month, as well as have displays set up for their causes in the bookshop in Eastcheap, Letchworth GC, during the Christmas period.

Paul Wallace, manager of David’s Bookshop, said: “It was a very difficult decision with so many worthy causes to choose from, but these two charities stood out in terms of depth of need, contribution in the community and range of outreach.”

Daniele Thiele and Malcom Morris from Mind Yourself, a men’s voluntary club in Letchworth GC, as well as Joan Kirby from Hitchin Helping Hands, group for people with a disability and their carers which meets in the town, accepted the cheques on the charities’ behalf.

“This money which has been awarded to us will be put towards a metal shed for the garden so we can start storing our tools for the garden”, said club founder and secretary Daniel, who is leading an allotment and garden project in which participants can grow their own crops.

“At the moment we’re storing them in a garage but we have to pay rent for that so it will be a great help. What we want to do eventually is make it a community gardens so the public can enjoy it as well.”

Hitchin Helping Hands’ �300 will go towards an annual July trip to the seaside at Felixstowe in Suffolk.

Joan said: “It came at a good time as we need to raise money to take them to the seaside. It becomes a bit expensive as we pay for the coach to Felixstowe and a hut on the seafront.

“They all get to see the sea and have fish and chips and they always seem to enjoy it. One lady said to me ‘I never thought I’d see the sea again’ - so that makes it all worthwhile.”