BURY'S mayor, Councillor Paul Nesbit has sent out a big "thank you" to dozens of youngsters from across the borough who helped boost his charity cause.

The 5-17 year olds were involved in the highly successful 2002 Bury Variety Showcase concert which was staged earlier this month by director, Carol Jason and held at the Longfield Suite in Prestwich.

Some 30 acts, from soloists to school choirs were present and between them they helped raise hundreds of pounds for the mayoral charities.

Councillor Nesbit, said: "We are still counting up the proceeds from the day, but there is no doubt it was a huge success. I want to thank everyone involved, especially Carol for all her hard work and the young people who were wonderful. "They displayed remarkable talent and the show was absolutely brilliant. I cannot thank them all enough and I just hope that the Variety Showcase concert now becomes a regular feature in the borough's social calendar."

Carol, who runs her own function band, Celebration, which will be playing at the mayor's dinner and ball, added: "Although it is very fashionable at the moment to have young people performing in a very competitive way we wanted them to just come along, encourage them to use their diverse talents and, most of all, just enjoy themselves.

"There is no doubt that they did just that. I want to say a special thank you to Debra Simmons and her School of Dance from Bury. Without their help the whole occasion would have been a lot harder to organise and arrange."

She concluded: "People have already been asking me whether we will be doing it again. I have a feeling, judging from the tremendous reaction, that we will."