Charity raffle at Xscape Yorkshire raises £2,000 for the Yorkshire Children's Trust

A charity raffle at Xscape Yorkshire has raised more than £2,000 for the Yorkshire Children's Trust.
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The charity, which provides support including counselling for families of children with long-term illnesses and disabilities, is the leisure complex's chosen fundraising partner for 2019/20.

Staff at Xscape raised money by selling tickets for a raffle with a grand prize - a brand new Peugeot 108 donated by Motorpoint Castleford.

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And the winner of the competition, Ray Francis, travelled all the way from Surrey to collect his prize.

Ray Francis with his prize at Xscape Yorkshire. Ray, from Surrey, purchased a ticket for the raffle when visiting in December.Ray Francis with his prize at Xscape Yorkshire. Ray, from Surrey, purchased a ticket for the raffle when visiting in December.
Ray Francis with his prize at Xscape Yorkshire. Ray, from Surrey, purchased a ticket for the raffle when visiting in December.

Ray purchased his ticket when visiting Xscape with his eight-year-old daughter in December.

He said: "I was completely dumfounded when I got the call to say I’d won! What a great start to the New Year. I plan to name the car after my young daughter, Isabella - she was with me when we bought the raffle tickets.

“I already support a children’s charity which supports families through child bereavement, so when I saw them selling tickets at Xscape Yorkshire for a child charity I just wanted to give a bit of extra support.”

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Simon Widdop, Charity Founder of Yorkshire Children’s Trust, said: “Yorkshire Children's Trust would like to offer their heartfelt thanks to Motorpoint Castleford for donating a car for us to raffle and to Xscape Yorkshire for helping to promote the raffle – and huge congratulations to the winner, Ray Francis.

“Funds raised will be used to support the new counselling services provided by the charity. When a child becomes poorly, it's not just that child that needs support, but mum, dad and siblings too. By providing one-to-one person centred counselling and play therapies, Yorkshire Children's Trust help to relieve stress and allow families to come to terms with dealing with long term illnesses and disabilities.”

Jason Warren, General Manager of Xscape Yorkshire, added: “It’s been the perfect mix of delighting a visitor who has won a car, raising much needed funds for the charity and all working together to do something to make a difference. Huge thanks must go to Motorpoint Castleford for providing this amazing prize and to every one of our visitors who bought a ticket or donated money to the charity.”

Chris Goodison, General Manager of Motorpoint Castleford, said: “We couldn’t be happier for Ray and we hope he enjoys his new car from Motorpoint. It’s a real pleasure to have teamed up with Xscape Yorkshire to raise funds for the Yorkshire Children’s Trust and we hope the money raised can make a real difference to the lives of children with long-term illness or disability across the region.”

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Yorkshire Children’s Trust has helped to support over 1,000 families since it launched in 2011, with help given to more than 100 families a year.

Its Yorkshire-wide support focuses on helping children with any long-term illness or disability – unlike some organisations that specialise in one particular illness or disability – supporting the emotional needs of the families with holidays, present giving and counselling and financial needs with support grants to pay for medical equipment or treatment, hospital travel costs and essential home modifications.

Now based out of their Halifax headquarters, the charity was first founded in March 2011 by two sets of parents who had daughters who suffered from Leukaemia – the Widdop family and the Grey family. To find out more see www.yctrust.uk

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