The multi-million-pound appeal for a new hospice in Bradford has won a £50,000 boost as part of the biggest ever corporate gift to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

More cash is expected to be injected in coming years into the appeal for a new centre of excellence at Leeds Road Hospital as part of a deal involving the charity and women's magazine Candis which is expected to total £2.6million nationally in the next four years.

The donation will be funded through the sale of the magazine, which is the third biggest women's monthly in the country with more than 900,000 readers.

Brian Curran, Bradford appeal fundraiser for Marie Curie, said he was delighted with the gift.

The charity was looking to raise £1.5million locally towards the hospice and the donation brought the running total to £600,000 and was the fourth largest single gift so far.

"It's just great news for the Bradford appeal," said Mr Curran.

"We are getting more and more people coming on board to support our cause and we hope this continues following the generosity of Candis."

Sir Nicholas Fenn, chief executive of Marie Curie, said he was grateful for the support from Candis to help the Bradford appeal and other centres nationally.

"The partnership will help us to develop new and innovative ways of combating cancer while ensuring that people living with this difficult disease receive the best quality of care possible, both through our community nursing service and at our 11 Marie Curie centres."

Candis magazine editor Jenny Hulme said readers would be kept up to date with the work which was being supported through its sale.

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