A RETAILER has donated more than £50,000 to a children's hospices' appeal to build a new centre.

QD Stores Ltd, owner of the Cherry Lane Garden Centre in Braintree, signed up to the nook business network in April 2015, agreement to raise £25,000 to help East Anglian Children's Hospice (Each) build a new centre in Norfolk.

Since then the company has been raising money at stores across East Anglia, by completing sky dives, bake sales, head shaves, coastal walks and much more.

A cheque for £37,630 was presented to Each earlier this month, and combined with a cheque for £14,000 presented earlier this year brings the total raised by the discount retailer to £51,630.

Sophie Mayes, Fundraising manager for Each, said: “We want to say a huge thanks to everyone at QD Stores. They have been fantastic and their staff and customers have really got behind the nook appeal.

"We still have a way to go towards our £10 million target but the support we receive from the community all adds up.”

The team from QD Stores are continuing to fundraise and are taking on a 5km obstacles courts at Old Buckenham in September.

James Collins, associate director of trading for QD Stores Ltd, said: “At QD stores we are delighted to support the nook appeal.

"We set out to raise £25,000 and we are all over the moon that we have doubled our target.

"Our customers have also been brilliant in helping us in our quest to raise money for this excellent cause.

"We’ve had collections tubs at tills across our 45 stores and garden centres, and we have also been able to donate some of the money from the sale of our carrier bags.”

Visit www.each.org.uk.