A York shopping park has given our Hospice 2000 appeal a magnificent post-Christmas boost.

Reasoning that not every Christmas present is just what you always wanted, Monks Cross Shopping Park is encouraging people to donate their unwanted gifts to the Evening Press Hospice 2000 appeal.

The aim of the appeal is to raise £2 million to build an extension to St Leonard's Hospice in Tadcaster Road, York.

A Christmas survey conducted among shoppers at the park revealed that many of us receive things we do not want during the festive season and aunts, uncles and grandparents are the worst culprits when it comes to bad taste.

But instead of consigning those bobble hats and fluffy slippers to the bottom of the wardrobe, why not drop them in at the Information Centre at Monks Cross where they will be passed on to St Leonard's Hospice to be raffled off.

Janet Morley, fundraising organiser at St Leonard's Hospice, said: "It's a great idea because so often people get gifts that they cannot use, but they can be of great benefit to us for fundraising because you can use them in tombolas and raffles and various events.

"We are very grateful to Monks Cross for organising it."

Katherine Hague, centre manager at Monks Cross, said: "At Christmas we all receive gifts that are unsuitable which are either stuck in the back of the wardrobe or put to one side and forgotten about.

"Although the survey revealed that gifts were appreciated because it was the thought that counted, we are inviting people to drop off gifts that would benefit others or which could be raffled to help raise valuable funds for the St Leonard's Hospice Appeal."

The shoppers survey found that although 80 per cent of those asked enjoy the Christmas period, the aspects they hate are the expense, commercial hype and stress of choosing presents.

The best thing about Christmas came out as spending time with the family and having the excuse to drink and be merry.

Some 37 per cent of people said the worst presents were oversized and unfashionable clothes, whereas most people's ideal gift is jewellery.

If you would like to be involved in the Hospice 2000 appeal in any way, please contact the St Leonard's fundraising centre on York 781576.

See Hospice section

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.