Travel agency staff in Bradford have helped the Lord Mayor's appeal for an outdoors activity charity take-off by dragging a plane along a runway.

About 35 staff members from Thomas Cook pulled a giant Boeing 737 about 50 metres along Manchester Airport runway for the Bradford Outward Bound Association and raised over £3,000 as part of their challenge to raise £10,000 to give fostered children greater self-esteem.

The charity's Bradford arm, which sent almost 2,000 people from Bradford to face confidence-boosting challenges at the Outward Bound centre in Eskdale last year, was chosen by the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Allan Hillary, along with the Nell Bank Centre, Ilkley, for his appeal when he was invested on Tuesday.

Coun Hillary said he was delighted with Thomas Cook's mighty efforts.

He said: "The idea of the appeal is to make sure the work of these two very important associations is expanded. "Nell Bank is in an outstanding location with excellent facilities and beds for 40 children. I am visiting the Outward Bound Centre in Eskdale in August to experience their activities first hand."

Future fund-raising events include a sponsored walk around Morecambe Bay on July 20. Mike Burtoft, chairman of the voluntary Bradford Outward Bound Association, was thrilled with the Lord Mayor's decision.

"Nell Bank works at the junior end from primary school to 13 years old and we tend to work from 13 years upwards, so everybody is covered."

Thomas Cook's £10,000 will send 37 children from Bradford's Adoption and Fostering Unit on a course which, according to unit's manager Denis Gale, gives them "a sense of achievement and confidence". Anyone who wants to help the Lord Mayor's Appeal, should ring appeal officer Brenda Lockwood on (01274) 434965.