THE Mayor of Wellington Cllr Marcus Barr is appealing for the public to help him to help others this festive season.

Cllr Barr will be running a ‘two-week jumble sale’ in the town council’s Pop Up Shop, in Fore Street, from December 30 to January 14.

But he needs people to provide items which in turn he can then sell to raise funds for two Wellington ‘good causes’.

Cllr Barr originally wanted the town council to introduce an official ‘Mayor’s Charity’ each year where whomever became the mayor would organise fund-raising activities throughout their tenure and present the proceeds to their chosen charitable causes.

However, he scaled back his proposal after fellow councillors failed to support his idea.

Now, he has been allowed to use the Pop Up Shop for a fund-raising fortnight at a time of year when it would rarely otherwise be occupied.

He is supporting Wellington Majorettes and Rockwell Green Primary School.

Cllr Barr said: Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity as mayor to say a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all the readers of this great local newspaper which has supported me though the year.

“I need the help of the people of Wellington this Christmas, if they have any unwanted Christmas presents or can donate items from around their home I will be in the Pop Up Shop from December 30.

“As the mayor I have seen the great work the majorettes do for our town and know that they will be heading to Portugal in February so will need to be funded, and if we can help them, all the better.

“The school are looking for some new play equipment to replace some that has become old and tired.

“I have raised just over £1,000 so far but I would like to more than double that amount if I can but I can only do this with people’s help.

“For anybody who is unable to donate, then I will have plenty to sell, so if they are looking for a bargain I might have what they are looking for if they pop into the shop.

“I am looking for bric-a-brac, records, CDs, Blu Rays, anything that people think we can sell to raise money.”

Cllr Barr said if he was able to raise a lot of money, he would ‘love to see Wellington have our very own community shop that raises money for our own town’.

He said lots of community groups would need funding in the coming years and he felt it was important that the town council helped as many as it could.