LOCAL businesses in Helensburgh were advertised in an unusual way last weekend to raise more than £1,400 for local charities.

Helensburgh Garelochside Rotary Club organised the event, which saw 35 local businesses pay £40 to advertise on sandwich boards which were then walked around town by 28 Rotary members and supporters.

Hotels, restaurants, accountants, builders, shops, dentists, gardeners, electricians, engineers, garages, estate agents and opticians were amongst the 35 businesses who gave their support to raise £1,440 for local charities through the unusual fundraiser.

MP Brendan O'Hara and Gary Louttit, district governor for the Rotary clubs in the west of Scotland, attended the event, and waved off the 'board walk' led by senior vice-president Norman Quirk and piper Russell McKinnon.

The parade walked along West Princes Street and down Sinclair Street to the waterfront and then along West Clyde Street before returning along West Princes Street and walking around Colquhoun Square.

President John Macpherson, who has been involved in similar events for many years before bringing the idea to Helensburgh, said that he was delighted at the response from local businesses and hoped the event would be a feature of the club’s programme into the future.

The boards will be displayed at various Rotary events and the sponsoring businesses will be promoted on the Rotary Club's website over the next 12 months.

Club president John Macpherson said: “Helensburgh Garelochside Rotary members are very grateful to the many local businesses that have given their support by using this form of advertising as a method of charitable donation to help improve the lives of people in our community."

MP Brendan O'Hara was "delighted" to support the event.

He said: "What a terrific and novel idea to advertise local businesses in Helensburgh.

"The town can be rightly proud of the number and diversity of businesses it has and I am delighted to support this event.

"My congratulations to all the Rotary club members who took part in such good spirit and my thanks to John Macpherson, the club’s president, for inviting me along, and for the warm welcome I received.”

For more information on the work of the Rotary club visit www.helensburghgarelochsiderotary.uk or telephone 01436 674780.