A FAMILY fun day at a York pub has raised £1,400 to help buy high tech equipment for a quadriplegic boy so he can communicate by moving his eyes.

Hundreds turned up at the Beagle pub in Foxwood for the event on Easter Sunday afternoon, which was raising money towards a £10,000 appeal for Marcus Jefferson, of Dunnington.

Organised by Jade Sweeting, a friend of Marcus’s mother Leanne, it featured snakes and spiders, music, barbecue, face painting, raffle and tombola.

Jade said it went really well, the only disappointment being Sunday’s rain.

Chris Bedingham, who has only recently taken over as landlord of the Beagle with Jo Brundrett, said he was delighted to host such an event, as he wanted the pub to be a real focal point of the local community.

Leanne said: “I would like to thank Jo and Chris for letting us use the Beagle, and give a big thank you to Jade, Matty and Tim and their family for organising everything, and also a massive thank you to the community for supporting us on the day and to Tesco, Morrisons, Beningborough Hall, Ivisons garage and Dean Rogersons carpets, to name a few, for donations.

“The full day was a huge success thanks to all of these people and we as a family are very grateful for everyone’s continuous support.”

The money took the total now raised to £7,111, with other events still to come including a sponsored car wash at Burnley fire station, a walk of the Yorkshire Three Peaks and a Yorkshire ‘Tough Mudder,’ a 10-12 mile mud and obstacle course.

The Press reported earlier this year how Marcus has Spastic Quadriplegia, the most severe form of cerebral palsy, affecting both his arms and both legs, after suffering oxygen starvation when he was born.

Leanne said he could not speak but he had been thriving recently at his school because of an ‘eye gaze’ computer there which he can control through his eyes, allowing him to communicate.

She said she wanted to buy one so that Marcus could use it full time, both at home and at school.