AFTER a lifetime of raising money to help others, Sonny Warner is to finally retire at the age of 82.

The big-hearted entertainer gave up performing with The Sonny Warner Show in 2002 due to ill-health but continued to work part time as a fundraising executive at the Nicky Alliance Day Centre.

Following a difficult operation to fit a pacemaker two weeks ago, Sonny made the decision to retire fully next month.

He said: "I am going to miss it but I don't think I am fit enough to carry on. I am 82 now and I am tired.'

Sonny has been working since he was 14 and he worked as a sales rep before forming The Sonny Warner Show with his wife Pamela.

The pair met at a concert party - he on ukelele and Pamela on piano - and they have been togther ever since.

The show celebrated its 45th anniversary last year and under the guidance of Pamela and producer Suzanne Kaye - herself a member for 42 years - the group is still going strong entertaining people in and around Prestwich.

After performing to audiences in the community for several years, Sonny took up his second love in life and entered the world of professional fundraising.

He became the first professional fundraiser for a Jewish charity in Manchester when he joined the Manchester Jewish Social Services, now known as The Fed.

After a successful 15 years there he was asked to retire and moved on to spend 12 months raising funds for The Leukaemia Trust Appeal.

Sonny was then asked to work at the Nicky Alliance Day Centre in Middleton Road by the then chairman, the late Basil Clark, and the vice-chairman Lilian Simons.

During the past nine years as fundraising executive, Sonny has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the centre thus helping to purchase vital equipment for the elderly, visually impaired, disabled and frail members of the community.

In the 40 years he has been fund raising, Sonny reckons he has raised more than £2 million for a wide variety of charities.

He said: "My time at the Nicky has been wonderful. I love fund raising - it's been my life. When I go into the day centre and see all the equipment that has been bought with money I have brought in, it's a wonderful feeling. There's a new kitchen, carpets and more recently we have installed new toilets. I get a kick out of it.'

Sonny said one of the highlights of his career was raising money for two mini buses which transport members to the day centre. Another was when he received an MBE for services to charity in 1994.

"It was out of this world!' said Sonny, "and it has helped in my fundraising role. It's a good opener!'

While Sonny will miss working at the centre, he said he will not sever his ties completely and hopes to return as a day centre volunteer.

His wife Pamela (79) is also retiring at the same time from her job as a medical secretary at Greyland Medical Centre, in Bury Old Road.

Sonny's shoes at the centre will be filled by Shelley Blackston who joined the fundraising team four months ago.

The grandfather-of-nine had open heart surgery around five years ago and doctors advised him to change his lifestyle when he suffered further heart failure two years later. An operation to fit a pacemaker should have been a straight forward procedure but Sonny suffered some complications and was in a lot of pain.

He said: "There comes a time when you just can't do things anymore. I hope to do some voluntary work though, so long as I am fit and well."