Christmas angels, Santas, snowmen and animals provided tidings of joy for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity after staff at the Cambridge Building Society’s local branches raised £1,200 by selling toys to customers and staff.

The toys are bought by the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and then distributed to its supporters to be sold, with all the money going back to the charity to help it carry on its vital work providing specialist palliative care services for people over 18 who have a life-limiting illness.

Katie Adams, Supervisor at the Society’s Mill Road branch, said, “Once again, I’ve been astounded by the generosity of our customers and staff.

“Even though Christmas last year was a tough time for people as they tried to celebrate during a deep recession, they still found enough spare cash to raise over a thousand pounds for this extremely good, local cause.”

Staff from the Society's Mill Road branch, present the cheque to Tash Aubrey from Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

The Cambridge Building Society ran the fund raising campaign across all of its branches from the end of November to New Year’s Eve and Katie puts the amount raised down to the fondness people have for the hospice and the area as a whole.

“All our staff and customers feel a special affinity with the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity as it’s a very important part of the local community.

“As with all of our fundraising activities, we try to ensure we’re helping local charities and projects that really do help to make a difference in the community.

“We’re really looking forward to doing more fund raising this year.”