THREE charities based in and around York have been confirmed as having squares on the newest edition of classic board game Monopoly.

Winning Moves, manufacturers of the York Edition, asked residents of the city to put forward their suggestions for the Community Chest spaces on the board earlier this year.

The Press can exclusively reveal the successful charities have been named as Martin House Hospice, at Boston Spa, and York-based mental health support charity Our Celebration and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Alyson Wort, from Martin House, said the inclusion of the hospice was fantastic news.

“We were thrilled to find out we’d been selected,” she said.

“It was thanks to The Press that we found out about the contest, and then we asked our volunteers and friends to vote for us.

“We are delighted, thanks to everyone who voted.”

A spokesman for Winning Moves said: “We had lots and lots of entries, and we are delighted to welcome them on board the board as they are a big part of the community.”

David Smith, from Our Celebration, said the mental health charity welcomed the promotion.

“We are incredibly pleased to have been chosen as one of the charities representing York in the new Monopoly game,” he said.

“The publicity will be a new and lasting way for us to get the message out there that help and support is available in the city to help people in their recovery from mental ill-health.”

Julia Lewis, director of communications at Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said the charity was voted on to the board as it was linked so strongly with the city. “The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is enormously proud to have a heritage so intricately linked to the city of York,” she said.

“We remain committed to our founder’s vision of improving the circumstances of people and places in poverty in the UK, and to doing what we can to make this a reality in the city.”

Monopoly: The York Edition will be released in October, but advanced sales with online retailers have already exceeded manufacturers’ expectations.