BUILDING society staff from Northallerton and Richmond have helped to raise more than £108,000 for a cancer charity.

Branches of the Yorkshire Building Society in the two market towns of Northallerton and Richmond raised a combined total of £523, which was doubled by the society's charitable foundation to £1,046.

Both sold limited edition pin badges and cuddly toys to raise funds for the Give a Gift appeal.

The Northallerton branch boosted its total with a Christmas quiz to win a luxury hamper, and the Richmond branch had charity-themed scratchcards.

The total raised by all branches in Yorkshire throughout December was £108,000.

The money will help hundreds of families living with cancer across the UK by providing care grants to cover costs associated with the disease, such as travelling to appointments, childcare or increased heating bills.

The appeal was backed by soap star Wendi Peters, who plays Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted that the Give a Gift appeal has been such a phenomenal success - £108,000 is a fantastic amount to raise in such a short space of time."

Louise Neill, of the charitable foundation, said: "We were hoping for a positive reaction to the appeal, but we are astounded with the level of enthusiasm, dedication and generosity offered and would like to give our sincere thanks to everyone involved."