The team at Tong Garden Centre near Bradford are celebrating after exceeding their fund raising aspirations for Martin House Children's Hospice.

For every child who played at the new Grasshoppers Adventure Playground at Tong throughout the summer holidays, Tong Garden Centre management donated 25 pence from the entry fee towards their chosen Charity of the Year.

Over 20,000 children were undeterred by the sometimes inclement summer weather and raised a total of £5072 by playing at Grasshoppers; a figure that has delighted both Tong and Martin House alike.

Jo Dales, Tong Garden Centre's Marketing Manager said: "The team at Tong pledged to raise £5,000 over the course of the year through a series of fund-raising events and collection boxes at the tills, so you can imagine how delighted we are to have exceeded this amount in just six weeks.

"We're at the heart of the community here at Tong and we wanted to support a local charity that makes a real difference to the lives of local children with life-limiting illnesses. We're delighted that this initial donation will support their great work and to help them to raise the £5 million they need annually to deliver this vital service to children and their families in the region."

John Haigh, Corporate Fundraiser commented: "We are absolutely delighted that the team at Tong Garden Centre have made such a great start to their fund-raising. Around 25% of the children and families cared for and supported by Martin House in any one year come from BD postcodes, so it's really great to have such an ambitious, Bradford based business as Tong Garden Centre working in partnership with us. Big thanks to the whole team - their support will make a real difference to the lives of our children"

As part of National Hospice Care Week, Martin House, set in six acres of landscaped gardens in the village of Boston Spa, will open its doors to the public on Sunday, October 4th. Supporters of the hospice can drop in between 11am and 3pm to find out more about the care and support the hospice offers to hundreds of families throughout Yorkshire. Visitors can also find out more about fundraising and volunteering to support Martin House.

Tong Garden Centre occupies a 17 acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest independent garden centres with 110,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 1,000 cars.