THE Archbishop of York will see first-hand the work done by one of the country's top 300 charities in York.

Dr John Sentamu is keeping a promise made when he first arrived in York in 2005 to visit the Family Fund's offices at Monks Cross. He will visit on Wednesday.

Paul Keenan, Family Fund communications manager, said: "We are delighted Dr Sentamu is able to visit us and see the work our team does to support more than 50,000 families with severely disabled children, in all parts of the UK every year.

"Although we are York-based and right on the Archbishop's doorstep, our support stretches out to support lower-income families right across the UK.

"In the past year, we have provided grants totalling more than £28 million and during his visit the Archbishop will meet with some of the children and parents we have helped."

The Family Fund came to national prominence at Christmas last year when, following approaches by Fund families, they established and operated the Farepak Response Fund, distributing £8 million to 26,000 former Farepak agents in only six weeks.

Staff at the fund spent the month running up to Christmas helping co-ordinate the response fund on top of their work for low income families with disabled children.

As reported in The Press at the time, it was thanks to their efforts, that about £6 million was raised by businesses and individuals.

About 150,000 people, many on low incomes, lost about £400 each when the firm went bust.

Its customers got back about 15 pence for every £1 they had saved.

The donations were distributed as shopping vouchers, via 25,000 former Farepak agents.

The fund's income comes from the four UK governments and the fund's grants provide essential items such as washing machines, bedding, driving lessons and much-needed holidays.

With more families calling on the fund's support every year, smaller awards are having to be made and the fund can not afford to help disabled children once they reach 16, which it says is "a particularly expensive age".

About 44 per cent of families helped by the Fund have an income below the poverty line and 83 per cent have an income below the UK average.