Our Hospice 2000 Appeal is £1,500 nearer to its £2 million goal thanks to a band of intrepid York football players.

SWEET MUSIC: Children from Carr Infants School, Acomb, York, present Ossie and Margot Johnson, of the Acomb support group of St Leonard's Hospice, with a cheque

The Volunteer Arms team played a Millennium All Stars side at the Bootham Crescent ground last July, and as a result have presented St Leonard's Hospice with a cheque for £1,520.

Thanks to the energetic enthusiasm of the Volunteer Arms' manager Tracey Cormack, the team from the pub in York's Watson Street were matched against a team of professional footballers in front of a crowd of about 700.

In a fast and furious game the All Stars, led by former Sunderland player Phil Stancliffe, beat the home side, captained by Chris Elliott, by two goals to one.

money for the hospice appeal was raised from entry fees to the match, programme sales and an auction of football souvenirs and a raffle.

Tracey said: "It was a wonderful afternoon, and we are all very grateful to the All Stars players for coming along to play us to raise money for the hospice. York City were very generous in lending us their ground, and thanks to their support we hope to repeat the experience this summer."

Judith Metcalfe, hospice community fundraiser, said: "The Volunteer Arms, and especially Tracey, are to be congratulated on managing to attract so many busy soccer stars and on raising such a magnificent sum for the Millennium Appeal."

A series of seasonal concerts by the 230 pupils from Carr Infants School, Acomb, York, has provided sweet music for our appeal.

The children, aged three to seven, took part in three different performances. The nursery children sang songs and played games based on numbers, and the reception class presented a version of the Nativity with the topical title Millennium Tale.

Years one and two entertained parents and friends with Songs From The Century, with popular songs from each decade of the last 100 years.

The money raised from these much-enjoyed performances was presented by the children to hospice volunteers Margot and Os Johnston during the school's weekly Birthday and Well Done assembly.

Head teacher Ann McKeown said: "We wanted to support a York charity at the start of new Millennium, and we are very pleased to be able to give the collections from these concerts, of almost £80, to St Leonard's Hospice Millennium Appeal."

Janet Morley, fundraising manager for St Leonard's, said: "We love to involve the whole community in spreading the message of the work we do at the hospice, and it is lovely that pupils and staff of Carr Infant School and the children's parents have decided to help our Millennium Appeal in this very appropriate way."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.