Chain store presents £59,000 to hospice (From Echo)

Chain store presents £59,000 to hospice

5:00am Friday 3rd July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

A CHAIN store has given a hospice a cash boost, thanks to the generosity of customers and visitors at two fundraising events.

Choice Discount Stores presented a cheque for £59,000 to Little Havens children’s hospice.

Comedian Roy Walker led the laughs at a charity golf day and benefit dinner, which took place in May, organised by the Hadleigh-based chain.

The funds will go towards providing respite care for sick children and their families at the hospice, in Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, The money was raised through an auction on the night of the dinner, at Stock Brook Manor, near Billericay, and through proceeds from a raffle held in the company’s stores across Essex and the south east.

Choice managing director Con Donovan said: “We would like to take the opportunity of thanking all our customers for their support in buying raffle tickets, and the Choice staff for their efforts in selling the tickets, which all helped to raise a considerable sum of money.”

Among the items attracting a flurry of bids at the auction was the chance to be photographed with a celebrity at the event, and appear in OK! magazine, who were covering the event. The winner paid £3,000 for the prize.

Mr Donovan’s friends, Ian Hope and Andy Dosser, were two of the biggest bidders of the night, and each spent £5,000 to secure prized possessions.

The first was a 1962 original Frank Sinatra LP, signed by each member of the infamous Rat Pack, as well as a pair of football boots signed by Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid.

He will present them to the lucky recipient in person at a later date.

The Donovan family also made a personal donation to the appeal, and in the past 12 months have raised more than £100,000 for the charity through various fundraising events.

The hospice’s head of fundraising, Louise Gloyne, collected the cheque from Kath Donovan at the Hadleigh store.

Mrs Gloyne said: “This is an amazing amount of money, given the current financial climate.

“We are so grateful to the Donovan family for supporting the hospice.

“This money will help with our running costs.”

Mrs Donovan and her husband have 13 grandchildren. She said the family was inspired to help after visiting the hospice and learning of its financial difficulties.

She said: “When you go there, it really puts everything into perspective. You look at your own children and grandchildren and have to be thankful it isn’t you.

“The work Little Havens does is incredible, providing care and relief to families that are often so desperately in need of it.

“We are so happy to help.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)