FORMER mayor John Donaldson has made a surprise donation to the Banbury Young Homeless Project.

Mr Donaldson, whose year in office ended in May, distributed the mayor's charity fund between local causes before he handed over to councillor Kieron Mallon.

But money continued to come in from projects initiated by Cllr Donaldson, and he decided to donate £1,000 to BYHP.

He said: "The people of Banbury were even more generous in contributing to my charity fund than I imagined, and thanks to that generosity I am delighted to help BYHP continue the excellent work it does to help young people."

Jenny Harris, BYHP chief executive, said "It was a wonderful surprise to receive this donation from the mayor's fund.

"BYHP helps over 400 young people a year who are either homeless or potentially homeless, and this donation will enable us to continue to provide them with the help and support they need to achieve independence and live fulfilled lives."

  • Each year, Banbury's mayor raises money by organising events and collecting donations.

Before leaving office the mayor shares the fund between local causes at a presentation ceremony in the town hall.