A HARD-FOUGHT five-a-side football tournament, organised by staff of Matalan at Clifton Moor, York, has helped to boost the store's fundraising for the city's St Leonard's Hospice to £1,500.

Ten teams took part in the competition, including one from the Matalan

store in Newcastle. The winners of the competition were the York University students' team, with Kraft Foods the runners-up.

Store manager Bruce Milton presented the money raised by Matalan's efforts to hospice fundraising manager, Janet Morley, at the store.

He said that all the staff had played their part in raising the funds over the last few months - as well as entering a team in the football tournament, they had held raffles and draws, and the store's deputy manager, Darren Scott, had raised sponsorship as he cycled in to work - 50 miles from his home in Lincolnshire.

Bruce said: "We were keen to help St Leonard's because it is very much our local charity, and takes so much care of local people. We are pleased that our customers have been very supportive of our efforts, and I should like to thank them, as well as the teams that so willingly took part in the football and my staff for all their hard work."

Janet said: "Generosity is the hallmark of everyone who supports the hospice, and Matalan's wonderful effort in raising so much for us shows that their generosity has been working overtime. We are very grateful to them all, for their support."

Updated: 09:33 Saturday, June 28, 2003