Business ambassadors are celebrating raising £50,000 for a Bradford cancer hospice in their first year.

The group of West Yorkshire business people are now planing a new series of events to raise more money for the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford.

They serve on an ambassadorial board set up to increase income for the charity and introduce the business community to the hospice and its services.

Events as diverse as curry nights and daffodil balls as well as money raised by professional bodies like the Bradford Society of Chartered Accountants, contributed to their efforts. A charity of the year partnership has also been established with a local company.

Alan Wintersgill, from Bradford accountants Naylor Wintersgill, chairs the board which has members from a broad range of professions.

He said: “We all appreciate the work which is done at the hospice and it is a privilege to be involved and help in this way.”

Brian Curran, Marie Curie Cancer Care’s regional corporate development manager, said: “Not only do the ambassadors help increase our income, but they help raise awareness and introduce us to some very influential people. We continually need to tell people of our work and need for support and the board are instrumental in this.”

The board, is now working on a sports lunch in September and a business breakfast at the hospice.

l Yorkshire Bank employees have been named as the most charitable in the banking world, with one in five giving a total of about £200,000 a year to charity through payroll giving – the highest employee involvement of any UK high street bank in the scheme.

Peter O’Hara, managing director at Workplace Giving UK, said: “Yorkshire Bank should be congratulated on their continued success with their Workplace Giving scheme. Having over 20 per cent of the workforce taking part in the scheme is something many other employers can only aspire to.”

Yorkshire Bank is set to be awarded a government Gold Award for Payroll Giving excellence.

Jacqui Atkinson, the bank’s community affairs manager, said: “It’s great to see our employees taking advantage of the Payroll Giving scheme. It’s a quick and easy way to donate to the charities which are close to our employees’ hearts.

“Our people choose to donate to a wide range of local and national charities and I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve got more employees taking part in this scheme than any other high street bank.”