Send in the pounds

Every festive season, millions of Christmas cards wing their way across the globe - sent by family members, businesses and friends keen to keep in touch.

But several organisations in and around the York area this year decided to save the cash they would otherwise have spent on cards - and donated it instead to our appeal.

Their efforts have raised hundreds more pounds for our appeal to create a life-saving high dependency unit on York Hospital's children's ward.

Some of the contributors were ex-Servicemen, who are members of the York branch of the Royal Naval Association.

They collected £215 in saved cash, of which half has gone to our appeal and the other half to Martin House Hospice, in Wetherby.

Branch treasurer Ronald Robertson, from Wetwang, said: "Each year, come Christmas, we go to these meetings and pass cards back and forth which we see as a waste of money.

"Instead of sending cards this year, we decided we would save some money and put it to decent causes."

Other organisations which donated to our appeal in lieu of sending cards included members of the Crown Prosecution Service and a group of secretaries from York Hospital.

It was not just companies which decided to opt out of Christmas cards.

Mary and Clive Thompson, from Moorgate, York, also donated cash to our appeal after deciding not to send their usual festive greetings.

Our Guardian Angels is currently approaching the £130,000 mark in money donated and pledges of cash. We are aiming to raise £300,000 which will fund two life-saving high dependency rooms with new, specialised equipment, on York hospital's children's ward.

The unit will be the first of its kind in the region to deal with youngsters arriving as emergencies.

It will mean children would have immediate access to the right treatment instead of waiting for ventilators and monitors to be taken from other patients. It will also mean far fewer youngsters have to be transferred out of York for their care.