A HORSFORTH-BASED estate agent has kept up its support for a local hospice during the pandemic - by making a ‘landmark donation’.

Residential letting and sales specialists Linley & Simpson, which has branches across Yorkshire including in Ilkley, has presented Martin House Children’s Hospice with £25,000.

The company managed to make the donation despite seeing its fundraising activities this year severely curtailed due to COVID-19.

The latest gift takes the total that the business has raised for the Boston Spa based hospice over the past five years to nearly £100,000.

Linley & Simpsons had a calendar of activities planned to raise funds for the charity which would have included taking part in Martin House’s annual Dragon Boat Race, undertaking the ‘Total Warrior’ challenge, and an Easter bake-off. Staff members also - Martin House is the firm’s chosen charity - usually carry out voluntary work during the year to help.

Martin House Children’s Hospice Nurse Cally Marritt said: “We are so grateful to Linley & Simpson for their very generous donation of £25,000. This support means we can continue to help families who need our help now, more than ever before.

“Lockdown has put Martin House under extra financial pressure and has meant we have had to adjust the way we provide vital care to babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

“This donation could help fund one of our specialist doctors for five months, giving families access to advice, care and guidance 24/7 from an expert in children’s palliative medicine.

“We’d like to thank the team at Linley & Simpson for their ongoing support.”

Linley & Simpson’s Wetherby Branch Manager, Emily Wilkinson, said: “It has been our pleasure to support Martin House as our chosen charity for the last five years.

“Despite being unable to carry out a host of fundraising activities due to COVID-19 we were determined to continue our support for this wonderful charity.

“We did not want the hospice to miss out on the funds they need to keep on providing the high standard of palliative care to families across Yorkshire, so we are delighted to be able to give them a £25,000 donation.” The hospice relies on donations and fundraising to cover the £8 million a year it needs.