A CHARITY has benefited from a generous rare donation after a man donated a unique gift as he wanted to give back to the charity that cared for his mum.

St Mary’s Hospice, Ulverston received a generous rare donation of a boat after a local man donated it to be sold.

The motivation behind the unique gift came about as the hospice was a charity close to the donor’s heart as the hospice cared for his mum.

He said: “I wasn’t using it often enough and really wanted someone to get some use out of it. St Mary’s is a fantastic charity, so I was delighted to be able to nail my colours to their mast, and put the vessel up for sale with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated directly to them.”

The boat sold for £2,000, £250 over the asking price as the purchaser was keen to support the hospice also.

Head of fundraising at St Mary’s, Helen Carlson, said: “We are continuously amazed at the lengths our supporters go to.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the donor and for all who helped us make this sale a success. We are sure this beautiful boat will create so many happy memories for its new owner. I guess our boat really has come in.”

Mel Dixon, St Mary’s Events and Challenges Fundraiser said: “Thank you so much to everyone involved in helping to raise this fantastic amount of money, including Ian Shaw who gave us his support, knowledge and even transported the boat.

“Every donation – big or small – makes a huge difference.

“Did you know that £130 enables for a loved one to receive one to one support from our Family and Bereavement Support team? To give you an idea £2,000 means we can be there when it matters most for over 15 members of our community with this special service.”

A spokeswoman from the hospice also added: “Huge thanks from us all at St Mary's to Maiden Marine Ltd, of Windermere, who facilitated the sale for us and even waived their usual fees to make sure the money all came to St Mary's.”