A TALENT contest has raised £700 for the City of York Afghanistan Commemorative Appeal – and made little stars of two young break dancers.

Luca Cipriano, ten, and his sister Issey, eight, wowed the audience at Fulfordgate WMC when they staged their breakdance routine during a Fulfordgate’s Got Talent contest.

The children, from Huby, near Easingwold, go to York Breakdancers, a club based at York RI and Fitness First. They were taken to the club by their grandmother Maria, who lives in Fulford.

Sharon Grant, barmaid and relief steward, who organised the contest, said: “The night was a great success.

“I’d like to thank everyone who participated – there were eight or nine acts. I was absolutely gobsmacked at how full the club was and how everyone helped out. Everybody had a great time and we had great feedback from the evening.”

J & J Linedancers came second in the competion while Sharon, along with friends Lesley Martin and Angela Williams, were third as The Supremes.

Sharon said she hoped the money raised would go some way towards helping the appeal.

The £700 takes the total raised so far past the £4,000 mark.

The appeal, launched in January, aims to create a permanent public artwork to commemorate the thousands of servicemen and women from the York area who have been involved at some time in the conflict in Afghanistan, as well as a memorial to those who have died in the conflict.

Sharon said members wanted to help the appeal, not least because one of the three York servicemen who have died in Afghanistan, Ashley Smith, was buried at Fulford Cemetery and his sister lived locally.

She thanked Timpsons for engraving a trophy, and others, including Toni & Guy Hairdressing, the Saddle Inn, Big Boys Toys 4 U, the Coldstream Guards, JP Davies of Riccall and the Royal British Legion, for providing raffle prizes.

• Would your club, organisation or business like to hold an event to raise funds for the appeal? Email: mike.laycock@thepress.co.uk, phone Mike on 01904 567132 or write to: Mike Laycock, The Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.