PLAYS, claret and amber days and seat sales have all helped a 30th anniversary appeal for the Bradford Burns Research Unit reach £200,000 and counting towards its initial £300,000 target.

The University of Bradford's Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) was set up after the Bradford City Fire Disaster at Valley Parade on May 11, 1985, which cost 56 lives and left about 265 more injured.

Now a 30th anniversary appeal for the PSBRU has reached the £200,000 mark.

Residents from Bradford and all over the country have helped reach this figure.

Fundraising events have included 'The 56', a stage documentary which pays homage to those who lost their lives on the fateful day. This production has brought in more than £2,000 for the cause.

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The play embarked on an eight-date national tour in March, including dates in Bradford and will be at the Edinburgh Festival from August 6 to 31.

Behind the project is FYSA Theatre, a Yorkshire-based company founded by the Sheffield University group.

This is one of a range of fundraising activities which have taken place across the Bradford district, particularly throughout this year.

Other events included Bradford City fan Antoni Preston, of Landsholme Court, Holme Wood, raising more than £1,300 for the appeal by selling 56 old seat backs he helped remove from Valley Parade.

Collections also took place over one weekend in April at Premier League and Football League stadiums across England.

Schools and businesses, including Morrisons, held claret and amber days last month.

Organisers hope to reach the £300,000 target by the end of this year and keep on raising funds for the unit after that.

Ajay Mahajan, consultant plastic surgeon and director of research at PSBRU, said: "It's absolutely fantastic.

"It shows just how strongly people feel towards the appeal. They feel that it is something that belongs to them.

"We just need to keep on going with the fundraising.

"The more we get, the more secure our future is.

"We would like to see our target of £300,000 achieved by the end of this commemoration year.

"We have already crossed the £200,000 mark.

"Everyone has been very supportive of our cause and I am obviously very grateful to them for this and have made it a point to personally write to all donors for their kind donations.

"I am very humbled to see the support shown by the community for our unit.

"The fundraising campaign is proving very fruitful.

"I am very pleased to see that the FYSA has successfully completed the national tour of 'The 56'. Those of us who have seen it felt that it is a brilliant piece of work that has been put together extremely well."

Money can be donated directly to the Burns Unit appeal at fire-anniversary.brad.ac.uk/donate/.