MORE than £30,000. That is the remarkable figure achieved so far by our Guardian Angels campaign, which has now reached just over a tenth of its final target.

The Evening Press appeal aims to raise £300,000 to transform high-dependency paediatric care on York Hospital's children's ward.

This money will fund two lifesaving high-dependency rooms with new, specialised equipment. This will improve care for the sickest children going to hospital and, where possible, ensure they can be treated in York.

Since we launched the appeal last October, we have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have come forward with donations.

Generous residents have come up with a wealth of ideas for raising money, including festive carol concerts, office dress-down days and coffee mornings.

Our latest appeal total is a massive £30,378.51 - all raised in only four-an-a-half months.

One of our fundraisers is energetic 16-year-old Kat Burn, of Woodthorpe, York, who persuaded friends to sponsor her to swim a mile for the cause.

Kat said: "I think the Angels cause is fabulous. It's helping kids who are poorly, and helping their families."

Staff at Norwich Union's regulatory services department have contributed to our cause by holding a dress-down day, while a quiz at St Clements Working Men's Club raised money with their weekly collections.

HMS York sailors and staff at Derwent Infant School have also contributed vital funds.

Many of our donations have come from collection plates at funerals, including those of Keith Pattison, Karen Pennock and John Judd.

We are very grateful to everyone who has generously supported the appeal. But we need still need more donations to reach our target.

You can help. If you would like to hold an event for our cause, such as a coffee morning or sponsored walk, let us know about it and we can help out with publicity.

You can phone Lucy Stephens on 01904 653051, or email newsdesk@ycp.co.uk. Or you can visit our website at www.thisisyork.co.uk, click on the appeal icon under "campaigns", and you will be led through to a special

section complete with a downloadable poster which you can customise to generate more publicity.

If you want to make a donation, send cheques or postal orders made out to Evening Press Guardian Angels appeal, to Lucy Stephens, Newsroom, Evening Press, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. PLEASE do not send cash and PLEASE do not send donations to the hospital direct.

How your cash will be spent

We want to raise the cash for a unit which would be the first of its kind in the region that could deal with youngsters arriving as emergencies.

These children could be suffering from illnesses including meningitis,

septicemia, breathing difficulties, viral chest infections, obstructions of the voice box, severe asthma, bronchiolitis, convulsions or coma, and physical injury.

A specialist nurse will care solely for these high-dependency children, and other staff will be trained to get the most out of the improvements.

Children would have immediate access to the right treatment instead of waiting for ventilators and monitors to be taken from other patients.

This major investment in care for children in York, North and East Yorkshire would also help keep patients' healthcare closer to home and family, minimising distressing transfers to intensive care units elsewhere.

Updated: 10:50 Friday, March 03, 2006