Members of the Bradford Bronte Rotary Club gathered for a breakfast summit at the Midland Hotel to learn more about the Telegraph & Argus Listening for Life Appeal.

Ear, nose and throat consultant Chris Raine attended the meeting to give a talk to the club about the appeal, which is raising £1.5 million to build a state-of-the-art cochlear implant centre at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The Listening for Life Centre will be the first dedicated centre in the UK to carry out cochlear implant operations.

Thanks to the dedication of Mr Raine, the city has become one of the top places in the UK where such surgery can be done and give the gift of hearing to people who might otherwise go through their entire lives in a world of silence.

His tireless work evolved into the Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service (YCIS), which grew to become a multi-disciplined organisation within the auspices of Bradford Royal Infirmary where not only the operations were carried out but also follow-up tests, education and therapy.

The team has now out-grown its premises and needs to create a £2.5m centre in the grounds of BRI. A huge effort has already been made by The Ear Trust, a charity set up by Mr Raine to support the work of the YCIS, and about £1m has already been secured.

Now the Ear Trust, which is co-ordinating fundraising efforts, is turning to the generosity of the people to Bradford to make the final push.

The fund was boosted at the meeting of Bradford Bronte Rotary Club by member David Burdess, who presented a cheque for £1,100 to Mr Raine.

A total of £3,300 was raised from the sale of Christmas greeting cards featuring paintings by Mr Burdess's late father William Burdess.

The amateur artist lived at Chevin Court retirement development in Boroughgate, Otley, along with his wife Irene, until his death in June this year aged 96.

Pauline Hanson, manager of Chevin Court, came up with the idea of producing the cards in his memory after talking to his relatives and other residents.

Four pieces of work by Mr Burdess featured on the cards which went on sale and raised money for the Listening for Life Appeal, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Martin House Children's Hospice.