ANOTHER exceptional response to the Typhoon Haiyan appeal from the Bolton public has been praised.

More than £23,000 has been given to the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development’s (CAFOD) appeal for the devastating typhoon in the Philippines last month.

The Salford Diocese — which covers all of Greater Manchester — has now generated £175,000 worth of aid for the victims, from collections during mass and fundraising events in schools.

It emerged recently that Bolton people had donated £192,000 directly to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s appeal in the aftermath of the typhoon, which killed at least 5,000 people.

Ged Edwards, CAFOD’s manager for the Salford Diocese, said: “The generosity of local people has been overwhelming and this is an exceptional response to our appeal.

“People’s livelihoods and communities have been devastated in the Philippines, and the churches there are playing a vital part in providing emergency relief and starting the rebuilding process.

“It’s heartwarming to know local people want to help. They are giving all they can, which is hugely appreciated.”

Charities received a further boost at the weekend after more than 100 people attended The Great Bolton Bake Aid at Longsight Methodist Church in Harwood. About £500 was raised for the victims of the disaster.

Boxer Amir Khan also recently hosted a sell-out fundraising dinner. The event, held at the Hilton Hotel in Bradford, raised more than £83,000.

A Bolton priest has also been helping with the country’s recovery. Royal Navy chaplain David Yates, a Roman Catholic priest, had been travelling in the Pacific aboard HMS Daring when it was redirected to the Philippines in the wake of the disaster.

Father Yates has helped with the burial of the dead and has been giving comfort to distraught relatives, as well as those displaced from their homes.