A TOTAL of £2,000 has been raised for four Cornish charities by a family-run motor group and its customers.

The Hawkins Motor Group’s annual Christmas raffle raised around £1,000 with staff and customers buying tickets before the group added another £1,000 to the pot.

The four charities receiving £500 each are the Little Harbour children’s hospice at St Austell, the Merlin Neuro Therapy Centre at Hewaswater, Cornwall Air Ambulance and Cornwall Hospice Care.

The motor group has seven branches across Cornwall and picked charities that would have an impact throughout the county.

Group chairman John Hawkins said: “Charity has always been important to us as a family and as a business. We’re delighted to support these worthy causes, especially during this time of year. We are very grateful for what they do for Cornwall.

“A huge thank you to everyone who participated in and supported our Christmas raffle. We hope our contribution can make a small difference to those in need.”

This was the third time the raffle has been organised across the seven branches at St Stephen, St Austell, Blackwater, Indian Queens, Penryn, Hayle and Launceston.

Beth Rudge received a cheque on behalf of Little Harbour which is part of Children’s Hospice South West which looks after babies, children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions by providing care and professional family support services.

Merlin Centre trustee Mike James said: “Our charity would not exist if it wasn’t for the generosity of our community and businesses such as the Hawkins Motor Group.

“Their kind donation means that we can continue to offer vital support to those who need us most.”

The centre supports adults, young people and children living with long-term neurological conditions and/or neurodiversities to access specialist therapies, support and information in a safe, supportive environment to help them improve their physical and mental well-being. The centre offers physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and oxygen therapy to Cornish residents who have long-term neurological conditions and children who are neurodiverse.

Cornwall Air Ambulance fundraising officer Jen Morgan said: “Cornwall Air Ambulance provides emergency pre-hospital care to those who are critically ill or injured across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“The crew are tasked to over 1,000 missions every year, and it is only thanks to the generosity of supporters like the Hawkins Motor Group that we are enabled to help patients in their greatest moment of need and to keep flying.”

The first Cornwall Air Ambulance took to the skies in 1987. The charity has since completed more than 32,000 missions. Given the county’s isolated beaches, rural settlements and challenging road networks, its service is vital to residents and the tourists that visit Cornwall. Operating with no direct government support towards running costs, it relies on donations to keep flying.

Kelly Tregaskis accepted a cheque on behalf of Cornwall Hospice Care which provides compassionate, specialised end-of-life care for patients, their families and carers. The charity gives inpatient care at the Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell and St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle.