GARDEN centre empire Bents Garden & Home has raised more than £26,000 for St Rocco’s Hospice - its charity of the year for 2018.

Staff at the Glazebury garden centre presented the hospice with a cheque for £26,204 last week as customers and colleagues have once again shown enormous generosity in helping Bents raise the incredible amount.

The money will help the facility in its provision of high quality care for adults living with a terminal or life limiting illness.

Rachel Ingham, St Rocco’s fundraising manager, said: “We were absolutely thrilled when we were selected as Charity of the Year for Bents last year.

“It has been wonderful to work with them and they have been amazingly supportive, raising a fabulous amount in so many ways to help us continue to care for our patients and families.

“As well as the Bents’ Ball last summer, they have taken on some amazing challenges, including cycling from Holyhead to Cardiff and entering an all ladies team in our Dragon Boat Race.

“They have also been great advocates for our work, welcoming our complementary therapists to Bents on several occasions to help raise awareness of all the different ways that we can support people in Warrington living with terminal and life-limiting illness.

“We very much hope that our relationship will continue in other ways going forward.”

Matthew Bent, managing director at Bents Garden & Home added: “We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much for St Rocco’s and I would like to say a big thank you to all our customers and colleagues who have helped throughout the year to make the campaign such a success.”