HOSPICE staff are celebrating after holding a record-breaking raffle.

St Cuthbert’s Hospice’s 21st anniversary draw raised £18,000 - nearly £3,000 more than the charity’s last raffle, held last Spring.

The funds raised could pay for 48 people with a terminal illness to have an overnight stay in the Durham hospice; or 120 day sessions.

Anita Willis, from Sacriston, chose to return half of her £1,000 first prize to the hospice.

Second prize of a laptop computer was won by Mary Deane, with the third prize of a Christmas hamper going to Anthony Sutherland.

Lucy Baxter, the hospice’s development manager, said: "We’ve seen an overwhelming amount of support for the raffle this year and for the hospice as a whole.

"The local community has really got behind the hospice in our anniversary year. Our income from regular donations has increased by over 20 per cent in 2009 and we’ve had a fantastic run of sell-out fundraising events, such as the Midnight Walk.

"Thanks to this incredible generosity and goodwill, we will be able to care for even more local people with life threatening illnesses this year, free of charge."