CHARITIES have benefited from the impending demolition of Lancashire County Cricket Club’s on-site hotel, the Old Trafford Lodge, by receiving beds, linen and furniture to help support their work.

The Lodge at Emirates Old Trafford will be knocked down this montH, to make way for a 150-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn that is due to open in 2017.

Staff at Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC) have cleared the Lodge of bedding, furniture and appliances in readiness for the work, and charities including Stretford-based Hope Direct, Manchester Dogs’ Home and other charities have benefited from the clear out.

Hope Direct’s mission is to increase opportunities and transform lives of suffering and vulnerable children in developing countries including Sierra Leone and Cameroon by providing the access to education and normal living standards as well as supplying healthy food, clothes and other essentials.

They also recycle and resell household goods and sell them at affordable prices in North West England.

LCCC’s Operations Director Anthony Mundy said: “We are moving quickly with our new hotel and we are now ready to commence demolition.

"The Lodge has lots of good quality pieces of furniture that won’t be required for the new Hilton Garden Inn hotel, so rather than seeing them go to waste we are delighted that these local charities can make use of them for the fantastic work they do. Other items have been sold to staff with proceeds going to the LCCC Foundation.”

Martin Sidebottom, of Hope Direct, added: “The generous donation of furniture, bedding and furnishings from Lancashire County Cricket Club has given the charity a great boost. Following the recent Ebola epidemic furniture in our orphanages had to be destroyed. We can now replace some of this thanks to the Club’s donation. The remainder will be sold to the local community enabling them to have good quality items at low cost. We are very grateful for the support from Lancashire County Cricket Club.”