Tycoon's Derian House holiday home bid
A Lancashire leisure tycoon has handed the keys to a luxury Caribbean holiday home to a children's hospice in a bid to raise cash.
John Morphet, the Preston-born multi-millionaire, has given the two-bedroomed apartment on his exclusive Royal Westmoreland Estate on the island of Barbados to Chorley's Derian House to rent out over the next year.
He hopes it will help raise up to 50,000 towards the 2.25m annual running costs for the hospice, which cares for children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses.
Mr Morphet, who still has a home in Milnthorpe on the Lancashire-Cumbria border, said he was inspired to help the charity after learning it receives less than 10% of its funding from the Government.
He said: "Derian House is a fantastic cause and one that, as a father, I feel incredibly privileged to be involved in.
"Its work benefits around 200 children from across the North West and, despite the tragedy that the families and staff are faced with every day, it's a place that always seems filled with love and happiness."
Fundraising manager Susie Poppitt said it would be asking supporters to buy a week's stay in the apartment for 1,000.
The estate, owned by Mr Morphet's Pure Leisure group, includes properties owned by sports stars Wayne Rooney, Gary Lineker and Preston-born cricketer Andrew Flintoff.
Email to a friend
Print this page - Popular
- Most comments
- Most shared
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Local pages
Looking for a...
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Thursday 29 July 2010
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 15 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 15 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
