Essex

Fancy Dress Raises Thousands

Highest-ever figure raised by Colchester bus drivers

Benevolent bus drivers in Colchester have raised a record-breaking sum of money for St Helena Hospice.

More than £2,000 was eventually collected in donations by First employees over the Christmas period - smashing through their target for the year's collection.

Kevin Howard, a driver based at Colchester, said: "I am as surprised as anyone at how much we have raised. The last four years combined has raised £5,850, and we wanted to raise £1,500 this year. We smashed through that, collecting £2,023 - that makes it almost eight grand!

"There is a lot of talk in the media about recession and economic downturn, but here we have proof that Colchesters residents and visitors are more generous than ever before.

"This is the third year that I have been organising this fundraising myself, and I have first-hand experience of the good works that St Helena Hospice do. I really am overjoyed with this result, this is the most we have ever raised.'

Employees from the two First Essex depots wore fancy dress from December 13^th until December 24^th last year to collect money for St Helena Hospice. Over these days, characters like Tigger and Father Christmas could be seen driving buses around the town.

Heather Buxton, Community Fundraiser, St Helena Hospice said: "Once again we are amazed at the amount the team at First Essex have raised and are so grateful for all their support. The fancy dress proved to be an incredibly successful fundraising activity, and Im sure it provided people with a lot of fun over the Christmas period too.'

"The money raised will be used to support the work of the Hospice and a huge thank you to everyone that participated and gave money to the drivers.'

St Helena Hospice provides a wide range of specialist palliative care services for people living in North Essex who have an advanced, progressive, life-limiting illness. All services are free to patients and their families.

St Helena was founded by the people of North East Essex and is still dependent for a large proportion of its running costs on the generosity of the community.

First Essex has been raising money at Christmas for St Helena Hospice for five years, and will be out again for Christmas, 2009.