CHILDREN’S hospice Martin House has been chosen as the charity of the year by stockbroker Redmayne-Bentley, which provides the Telegraph & Argus shares information Staff at the Leeds head office have pledged to take part in a range of fundraising activity to raise money for the Wetherby-based hospice throughout 2015 after raising nearly £12,000 last year for St Gemma’s Hospice.

More than £500 has already been raised through donations of bags of clothing to sell in Martin House charity shops, including in Shipley, Ilkley, Skipton and Yeadon. Amateur chef Owen Gilroy has cooked lunches for colleagues in return for donations and several raffles have been held.

Carolyn Black, investment manager, said: “It is a privilege to raise money for this wonderful charity, which does so much to help children and their families across Yorkshire. We’re now really looking forward to finding new and exciting ways to raise money – which will benefit so many young patients and their loved ones too.”

John Haigh, corporate fundraiser at Martin House, said: “In this, our 27th year, we will care for and support more than 400 local children and their families, at a total cost of some £4.9 million, most of which comes from voluntary donations from public and private sources.

“We continue to depend heavily on the generosity of the corporate community to help us reach our fundraising targets, and to have such a dynamic and energetic company as Redmayne-Bentley supporting us as their charity of choice is fantastic news and makes a real difference to so many children and families throughout the county.”