Fashion retailer Wildlife presented Marie Curie Cancer Care with a cheque for £2,566.50 which has been raised by the sale of raffle tickets in their stores over the last three months in Fowey, Penzance, Falmouth, Padstow, St Ives and Truro.

A staggering 5,133 raffle tickets were sold on behalf of the charity with the first prize being a £500 gift voucher to spend in any Wildlife store. Sarah Christmas from Helston is the winner of the £500 gift vouchers.

The cheque was given to Lynda Thomas, the fundraising manager for Marie Curie, at the Truro store by Neil Chadwick, one of the three brothers who own the Wildlife brand.

"Marie Curie is a charity close to my family's hearts as they really helped us through a very difficult time when we lost our Dad to cancer. We are so delighted to be supporting them and hope that we do more fundraising together in the future" said Neil.

Ms Thomas said: "I am so grateful to Wildlife for supporting Marie Curie Cancer Care with this Christmas raffle. The total raised with the raffle is £3,906 and the proceeds will be spent on providing high quality nursing, totally free, to give terminally ill people the choice of dying at home supported by their families in Cornwall.

"Our nurses work around the clock and care for almost half of cancer patients in the UK who die at home. Last year Marie Curie Nurses provided more than 800,000 hours of practical nursing and emotional support, for patients and their families at home. Thanks to the support from Wildlife and from everyone who has purchased raffle tickets the money raised will really make a difference to cancer patients in our area."

Wildlife, based in Cornwall, has become one of the leading fashion retailers in the South West with many accolades being awarded to them including being named as the UK's Best Family Business after winning the national final of the Yell Best Family Business Awards 2006, run by the publisher of Yellow Pages directories.