A COMMUNITY theatre's fundraising campaign has been given a kick-start by two York companies.

Shepherd Construction and Nuffield Hospitals have joined forces to donate £1,000 to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.

The money will help it on its way to purchasing a new lighting system to replace the existing 1960s rig, which is in desperate need of modernisation.

Patrick Shepherd, the Shepherd Building Group's deputy chairman, and Ed Witkowski, general manager of Purey Cust Nuffield Hospital, presented the cheque to members of Shipton Theatre Company as they prepared to finish their production of Fame: The Musical at the Rowntree Theatre.

Shepherd, Nuffield Hospitals and Rowntree Theatre recently became close neighbours, due to the construction of the new Nuffield Hospital York in Haxby Road. Shepherd is transforming the former Nestl dining block into a private hospital, including 40 bedrooms, three operating theatres, imaging and physiotherapy departments and a health screening unit.

The new facility will allow the Purey Cust Nuffield Hospital to relocate this winter.

Updated: 11:02 Monday, July 05, 2004