A BRADFORD-based debt counselling charity has been sent a letter of support and donation from the Queen.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP), based in Jubilee Mill, North Street, received a letter from the Sandringham Estate saying a donation, of an undisclosed sum, was being handed to the charity by the Privy Purse Charitable Trust.

The aim of the Trust is to make grants to charities of which the Queen is patron, support ecclesiastical establishments associated with the Queen and to make contributions in the event of either national or international disasters.

The letter CAP received, written on behalf of Her Majesty by MJ O’Lone, agent of the estate office at Sandringham, states: “Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to send you the enclosed cheque from the Privy Purse Charitable Trust as a donation to Christians Against Poverty.

“If you would like it to be known that Her Majesty has asked for this donation to be made, you may do so but I would ask that the amount is not disclosed.”

John Kirkby, 55, founder and international director, who started the charity from his Great Horton home in 1996, said the letter came as a complete surprise.

He said: “The donation is confidential but it makes it more special that it appears to include a message from the Queen.

“It is a very nice letter.

“I started the charity from nothing in a home office in Bradford and now, 21 years later, it has the Queen’s support.

“It’s nice and encouraging and we were not expecting it at all.

“It makes it special that the Queen knows of us and wanted to support us.

“This letter is not to me, but to CAP.”

Mr Kirkby added: “The thank-yous we receive from our clients will always trump all other encouragement we get from people, and I am sure that the Queen would agree with that too.

“It is also something that is good for Bradford, which is also helpful.”

CAP has branches spread across the country and beyond with a global presence in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

It has 280 staff working at its headquarters in Bradford and has 600 centres across the UK, featuring a total of 1,200 workers.

CAP also helps 22,000 with debt advice each year and has 40,000 supporters for its work.

As well as tackling debt, the charity also runs job clubs and offers a free money course to educate people about budgeting and saving.

For more information, go to capuk.org.