THESE beautifully-dressed lovely ladies joined in the fundraising for Jamie's Have a Heart Appeal, collecting more than £1,000 from fellow colleagues.

The cross-dressing employees joined in the appeal by donning frocks, wigs and lipstick, and then going round their workplace at York's Norwich Union building, rattling their collection buckets.

The money has gone towards the efforts to raise £7,500 to buy 12 heart monitors in memory of Jamie Bucknell, the 14-year-old Huntington School pupil who collapsed and died in class last month.

Also putting their weight behind the appeal have been staff and customers in The Buckles Inn, in Askham Richard. In raffles throughout the month they also raised more than £1,000 for the appeal.

Claire Weighall, 24, who works behind the bar, said: "As soon as people knew what we were raising money for, they dug deep into their pockets."

And 15-year-old Nikki Kay, a school friend of Jamie's, has this week handed over £356 from a sponsored television quiz she did with friends and neighbours near her Huntington home.

The appeal reached its total this week, and the 12 heart monitors have been purchased for York District Hospital.

The appeal for heart monitors has now come to a close - but Jamie's family has expressed a wish that any further fundraising should go to CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, which has given them a great deal of support and set up a permanent fundraising account in Jamie's name.

For more information log onto www.c-r-y.org.uk or contact 01372 276187.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, December 29, 2001