TODAY we launch a unique charity auction to raise money for what we think is a brilliant cause.

We still need £3,000 to realise our dream of creating a special stained-glass window at All Saints’ Church in York as a tribute to the York men and women who have seen active service in Afghanistan.

As well as recognising the courage of all those who have served in the country, the window will stand as a lasting tribute to the three York servicemen who have tragically lost their lives there: Marine David Hart, Trooper Ashley Smith and Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton.

Now we need your support.

We have teamed up with organisations and individuals across the city to set up a series of once-in-a-lifetime treats. And now we’re asking you, our readers, to bid for them to raise money.

So have you ever fancied ringing York Minster’s 10 and 3/4 tonne noontime bell, taking tea with the Lord Mayor in the Mansion House, or riding on the footplate of a steam locomotive across the North York Moors?

If so, now is your chance. All these treats and plenty more are up for grabs.

Any of them would make for an unforgettable day: and they will help to pay for a lasting monument to the brave sons and daughters of York who have served – and some of whom have died – in Afghanistan.

So why not get bidding now?