Bents Garden and Home has smashed its own fundraising target by more than £10,000 for its 2015 charity of the year, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which recently received a £25,907 cheque from the retailer.
Spearheaded by Bents' head of outdoor retail Matthew Dickinson, whose two-year-old son was diagnosed with CF at birth, Bents has broken all its own records for fundraising. Mr Dickinson's son Isaac was invited to the centre along with Emily Clough of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust for the presentation of the cheque and the official handover to the 2016 charity of the year.

The 2016 charity is Epilepsy Action, another cause close to the hearts of the Bents team as MD Matthew Bent's son Elliot was diagnosed with the condition last year.

Said Mr Bent: "We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and have to say a massive thank you to Matthew and his passion and commitment to a cause which is so close to his heart.

"And a huge thank you also to all our customers and colleagues who have helped throughout the year to make the campaign such a success. We are now looking forward to working with Epilepsy Action and are keen to do just as well in 2016."

He added: "I have had a direct personal experience of this year's charity, of the vital work and support they provide. Along with my wife Vicky and the rest of the family I'm looking forward to taking on some special challenges this year and hoping we can have another successful year of fundraising. I'm not sure we'll be able to match this year's total, but we'll give it our best shot!"