Yorkshire Garden Centres has raised over £11,000 for its charity of the year through a till donation initiative.

The group has partnered with fintech charity Pennies to raise funds for Martin House Children's Hospice and has raised £11,313 since it was rolled out to all seven sites in May. Pennies acts as a digital collection box, giving customers the option to add a donation to their total when they pay.

Yorkshire Garden Centres' group tills and customer services manager Diane Farrar has been responsible for the roll out of the initiative. She said: "We're delighted that the Pennies initiative has raised so much in such a short space of time, thanks to the incredible generosity of our customers. Pennies is a great way for people to donate to Martin House in a simple, safe and sustainable way and has given our £30,000 fundraising target a huge boost."

"It's incredible to see how much has been raised through the Yorkshire Garden Centres Group Pennies scheme in just the first few months of our partnership. The team is doing an amazing job of spreading the word about Martin House Children's Hospice and the difference their customers' donations can make," said the charity's partnership manager, Hannah Finan.

"This amount could help us purchase a specialist bed, giving a child or young person the chance to have a comfortable night's sleep during their stay at the hospice. It could help our chefs provide seven days of home-cooked meals, allowing families to relax and enjoy time together around the table. It could even cover the cost of our medical supplies for two weeks, enabling us to continue offering specialist care to children and young people with complex needs. Every penny really does count - and we're so grateful for every single one."

Through a series of fund-raising events and the Pennies initiative, the teams at Yorkshire Garden Centres' seven sites aim to raise £30,000 for the Wetherby-based independent charity that cares for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions from across West, North and East Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Garden Centres group comprises Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley Garden Centres, plus Dean's York and Scarborough and the recently acquired Pennine Garden Centre in Huddersfield. Each site has a charity champion who is committed to raising funds for Martin House and supporting local causes through the business's Kindness Pot.