Trio of Lancashire charities benefiting from £19,000 boost

Front: Paul Kendrick, managing director, and Sharon Benson, HR director, presenting Alex Croiteru with the cheque for DS West Pennine. Back: Donna Blackburn, Ion Croiteru, Sharon Crowley, Alison Burns, Stephen Burns and Rachael Barnes. (s)

Studio.co.uk has raised the funding in just 12 months for North West Air Ambulance, East Lancashire Hospice and DS West Pennine.

Representatives were invited into Studio's Accrington HQ to receive their cheques.

Alison Burns, a representative of DS West Pennine, said: "I am here today as a parent who accesses the support and services DS West Pennine provides. Every month there is a group meeting for families who have children with Downs Syndrome and I have been attending for around 6 years. Currently over 70 families access the charity and we are welcoming more and more every week.

Paul Kendrick, Leanne Green and Sharon Benson receiving a cheque for East Lancs Hospice. (s)

"The money raised and donated from Studio has made a huge difference to a small charity. It means we can continue our group meetings and provide fun activities for the children whilst offering a safe supportive environment for families. We have a different theme every month and do everything from discos and arts and crafts to hosting an animal petting corner! Families who want to get involved can find us on social media and join us the second Saturday of every month."

The East Lancashire Hospice cares for people with life-limiting illnesses. It currently requires £3.7 million per year to provide this service.

Leanne Green, the hospice's events fundraiser, said: "We are really grateful to Studio for choosing us as their charity for the last year.

"The money will go towards resources to provide our patients with the care they need. We have a 10-bed in-patient facility to run and also work with individuals in their own homes or community. We are also always looking for more volunteers, particularly within our shops within East Lancashire."

The North West Air Ambulance Charity has three helicopters that operate 365 days a year providing emergency care and assistance to those who need it. It costs £9 a minute for fuel to run each helicopter.

Jennifer Barry, regional fundraiser for the charity, said: "Last year we had more than 2000 missions and more than 800 of these were within Lancashire. The money donated by Studio is a wonderful gift, everyone at the charity is very grateful. It will go towards much needed resources to help us continue to offer the service which helps so many people."