REPRESENTATIVES from St Michael’s Hospice in Basingstoke have received a cash injection from an Alton store.

Bosses at the Sainsbury’s store on Drayman Way handed over a cheque for £16,025 – money which raised over the last two years.

The hospice was chosen as the store’s charity of the year for 2013 and 2014 in memory of a young colleague, Gareth Knight, who was helped by the hospice before his death on his wedding day aged just 30.

The store held tombolas, sales, raffles and coin collections, and several intrepid members of staff were sponsored to climb Snowdon in 2013. The store also donated Christmas lunches to the hospice and will be doing so again in December.

Debby Bridger, charity co-ordinator for the Alton store, said: “We are so pleased to be able to hand over this cheque to the hospice. Many customers have said that they have been touched by the work that they do locally.

“In addition to the generous support of customers, we have also received individual donations which have been passed direct to the hospice for their work.”

Jackie Ridge, corporate partnership manager at St Michael’s Hospice, added: “St Michael’s would like to thank the wonderful customers and colleagues at the Alton store for all their generosity and hard work.”

“The money will be used to fund hospice at home care which allows people to spend their last days at home with loved ones supported by a hospice nurse,” she said.