AN estate agent has made a major donation to a North Yorkshire hospice despite its fundraising efforts being curtailed by the coronavirus.

Linley & Simpson has given £25,000 to Martin House Hospice, taking the total raised for the Boston Spa charity in five years to almost £100,000.

Martin House needs £8m a year to provide support and palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions, and relies entirely on donations and fundraising.

The letting and sales agency, which has 20 branches across Yorkshire and The Humber, had a calendar of activities planned to raise funds, including Martin House’s annual Dragon Boat Race, a Total Warrior challenge and hosting a company Easter bake-off.

As their chosen charity, members of the Linley & Simpson team also usually carry out voluntary work throughout the year.

Hospice nurse Cally Marritt said: “We are so grateful to Linley & Simpson for their very generous donation of £25,000. This support means we can continue to help families who need our help now, more than ever before.

“Lockdown has put Martin House under extra financial pressure, and has meant we have had to adjust the way we provide vital care to babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

“This donation could help fund one of our specialist doctors for five months, giving families access to advice, care and guidance 24/7 from an expert in children’s palliative medicine. We’d like to thank the team at Linley & Simpson for their ongoing support.”

Emily Wilkinson, Linley & Simpson’s Wetherby branch manager, said: “It has been our pleasure to support Martin House as our chosen charity for the last five years. Despite being unable to carry out a host of fundraising activities due to COVID-19, we were determined to continue our support for this wonderful charity.

“We did not want the hospice to miss out on the funds that they need to keep on providing the high standard of palliative care to families across Yorkshire, so we are delighted to be able to given them £25,000 donation.

“One of the prime reasons for supporting Martin House is that it provides services to a geographical area covered by all our 20 branches, and it was a charity that everyone was keen to help raise funds for.”