Poole’s stunning new bridge helped raise a fantastic amount of money for local charities, before it even opened to traffic.

The £21.6m Twin Sails Bridge was celebrated at a community weekend, when pedestrians were encouraged to walk across.

To mark the event, the three Poole Rotary clubs produced a commemorative certificate for a minimum £2 donation, with all funds raised going to local charities.

During the community weekend on February 25/26 an estimated 20,000 people took the opportunity to walk across the bridge between Poole town and Hamworthy.

More than £6,000 was collected from the special certificates and during celebrations which took place later, a further £3,000 was raised.

The £9,000 total was split between the Mayor’s Charities and Poole Rotary nominated charitable donations.

Mayor, Cllr Graham Wilson, was handed £4,572 for his charities, Friends of Forest Holme, About Face, John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation and Dorset Blind Association.

“I was delighted with the success of the community day held for the people of Poole to celebrate their new bridge,” he said. “It was a lovely Poole occasion and a tremendous effort by the Rotary Club, and everyone who took part, to raise so much money for local charities.

“My special thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a memorable occasion – a highlight of my time as mayor.”

At a presentation, Derek Winter, president of the Rotary Club of Poole, presented a cheque for £700 to Captain Stephen Brevitt of Poole Salvation Army, £500 to Lorraine Russell of Poole Food Bank and a further £1,500 will go to the MS Society’s Osborne Centre at Parley.

“It was a great privilege to be involved with such an important milestone in Poole’s history and the fantastic result was a tribute to everyone’s hard work and the generosity of the Poole community,” said Mr Winter.