Wheel-y happy tourist wins car in fundraiser for Halifax-based charity

Ray Francis is the proud owner of a new Peugeot 108, which was up for grabs thanks to Motorpoint Castleford and Xscape Yorkshire after they combined to raise around £2000 for the charity.

Read: 21 ways Halifax has changed since the year 2000The lucky winner, who lives in Surrey, was visiting Xscape Yorkshire with his eight-year-old daughter in December when he bought a raffle ticket.

He said: “I was completely dumfounded when I got the call to say I’d won! What a great start to the New Year. I plan to name the car after my young daughter, Isabella - she was with me when we bought the raffle tickets.

“I already support a children’s charity which supports families through child bereavement, so when I saw them selling tickets at Xscape Yorkshire for a child charity I just wanted to give a bit of extra support.”

The Yorkshire Children’s Trust is Xscape’s chosen fundraising partner for 2019/20 and around £2000 was raised from the fundraising competition.

Read: Brighouse digital agency secures project with £7million turnover manufacturerSimon Widdop, Charity Founder of Yorkshire Children’s Trust, said: “Yorkshire Children's Trust would like to offer their heartfelt thanks to Motorpoint Castleford for donating a car for us to raffle and to Xscape Yorkshire for helping to promote the raffle – and huge congratulations to the winner, Ray Francis.

“Funds raised will be used to support the new counselling services provided by the charity. When a child becomes poorly, it's not just that child that needs support, but mum, dad and siblings too. By providing one-to-one person centred counselling and play therapies, Yorkshire Children's Trust help to relieve stress and allow families to come to terms with dealing with long term illnesses and disabilities.”

Jason Warren, General Manager of Xscape Yorkshire, added: “It’s been the perfect mix of delighting a visitor who has won a car, raising much needed funds for the charity and all working together to do something to make a difference. Huge thanks must go to Motorpoint Castleford for providing this amazing prize and to every one of our visitors who bought a ticket or donated money to the charity.”

Chris Goodison, General Manager of Motorpoint Castleford, said: “We couldn’t be happier for Ray and we hope he enjoys his new car from Motorpoint. It’s a real pleasure to have teamed up with Xscape Yorkshire to raise funds for the Yorkshire Children’s Trust and we hope the money raised can make a real difference to the lives of children with long-term illness or disability across the region.”

Read: Calder Valley businesses looking forward to return of Tour de YorkshireYorkshire Children’s Trust has helped to support over 1,000 families since it launched in 2011, with help given to more than 100 families a year.

Its Yorkshire-wide support focuses on helping children with any long-term illness or disability – unlike some organisations that specialise in one particular illness or disability – supporting the emotional needs of the families with holidays, present giving and counselling and financial needs with support grants to pay for medical equipment or treatment, hospital travel costs and essential home modifications.

Now based out of their Halifax headquarters, the charity was first founded in March 2011 by two sets of parents who had daughters who suffered from Leukaemia – the Widdop family and the Grey family.

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