Preston Bridge Club have raised over £1,000 for a local charity by playing their way around some of the city centre’s favourite bars and restaurants.

The 64 players who took part in the event – known as a bridge café drive – started the afternoon’s play in Baluga Bar before moving on to Olive Tree Brasserie, Turtle Bay and Villa Italia.

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In the process they raised £1,018.59 for the Preston-based Rosemere Cancer Foundation, who work to improve patients’ lives throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria by funding equipment, research, training and other cancer services that are beyond limited NHS resources.

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Organised by Preston Bridge Club stalwarts Geraldine Rankin, Maxine Whalley, Yvonne Dickinson and Gill Armstrong, the bridge cafe drive was the first to be held in the north of England, despite being popular in the south and Europe.

Geraldine said: “Café drives, as the name suggests, takes play to a number of different locations. We went to one in Oxford and enjoyed it so much, we thought we would bring the concept to Preston, so it could be the first city in the whole of the north of England to stage such an event.

“Bridge café drives usually have a charity element and we decided to use ours to raise money for Rosemere Cancer Foundation. It’s a charity close to a lot of people’s hearts given that almost everyone you meet has either been treated themselves or knows someone who has gone for treatment at Rosemere Cancer Centre.”

The café bridge drive was won by Catherine Draper and Maureen McConkey with Sue Fjortoft and Nick Woodcock in second place. Also among the prize winners were John and Beverley Hood, who are relative newcomers to the game.

Anyone who would like to learn bridge can do so through Preston Bridge Club. From Tuesday 25 September the club is offering weekly lessons, the first one of which is free. For details, telephone 01772 750179.

For further information on Rosemere Cancer Foundation, visit their website.