STAFF at Dean’s Garden Centre have raised more than £27,000 for their chosen charities.

Customers and staff at branches at Stockton-on-the-Forest and Scarborough raised £27,529.86 for York Against Cancer and Yorkshire Cancer Research. The total included a £2,500 donation from the partners of the business. The money was raised through various fundraising events including a charity bike night, walking treasure hunt, 10k run and a brass band concert.

Julie Russell, of York Against Cancer, said: “In 2013, York Against Cancer purchased an apartment in Whitby where we send cancer patients and their families for respite breaks and the money raised by Dean’s Garden Centre will be used to continue this very successful project. Thanks go to everyone who helped raise this money.

It will make a huge difference to the people that really need it.” Staff at the garden centre have chosen York Blind and Partially Sighted Society and the Scarborough branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society to support in 2014.