'˜Amazing' start to Yorkshire Children's Hospices Appeal

Just two weeks after the drive was launched, generous readers have already donated more than £2,600.

This will go towards Martin House in Boston Spa, Bluebell Wood in Sheffield and Forget-Me-Not in Huddersfield.

The Yorkshire Children’s Hospices Appeal is being backed by Johnston Press newspapers across the region and aims to raise £30,000 so the hospices can continue to enable the families of children with life-shortening illnesses to make the most of their time together.

Every year they need to raise more than £13m in total because only 10 per cent of their funding comes from Government.

Alyson Wort, director of fundraising at Martin House, said: “The appeal has already raised the funds needed to provide a month’s salary for a care team specialist with advanced nursing skills, a fantastic achievement in such a short space of time.

“We are enormously grateful to the families who chose to share their personal and very touching stories during launch week, it has been an honour to be allowed a brief glimpse into their lives.”

Julie Walker, whose family receives support from Martin House as her daughter Holly has a rare neurological disorder, said the generosity was “overwhelming”.

Mrs Walker, from Pontefract, added: “You can’t believe how kind people are.”

• Donate to the appeal online. Or, send a cheque, made payable to Yorkshire Children’s Hospices’ Appeal, to: Kayla Lindsey, Yorkshire Post, No 1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 1BE. You can also download our donations pack, containing all you need to know to help the appeal.

• Are you supporting the appeal? Tell us about it via social media using #ychappeal or email [email protected].