A CHILDREN’S charity is calling on shoppers to log on to the web this Christmas to give its fund-raising mission a helping hand.

The West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust is urging people to shop online after it signed up to the website www.easyfundraising.org.uk

The trust – which aims to build a children’s hospice at Brackenhall – is among hundreds of good causes on the site which can now benefit from purchases made online without any additional cost to shoppers.

Bargain-hunters can choose to spend their cash with more than 500 UK retailers, including major high street stores, insurance companies, travel shops and food outlets.

And with every purchase made through the site, donations of up to 15% are given to the cause the shopper nominates.

Trust fundraising manager Mandy Barwick hopes supporters will use the service this Christmas.

She said: “We are always looking at different ways of fundraising and it seems these days more and more people are shopping online.

“So we thought it was such a good idea. We really hope the site will be popular with shoppers this Christmas especially.

“People will be able to do their shopping sitting in front of their computers, without the hassle of queuing in busy shops.

“It really is such an easy way to raise cash for our hospice.”

The charity was given planning permission to build a £3m hospice and respite centre on land off Fell Greave Road last July after a major campaign.

Now work has begun to buy the site and finalise plans for the development before building work can begin.

The charity has raised about £1.1m so far.

It still has a long way to go before reaching its £4.5m target to build the hospice and pay the £1.5m running costs each year.

A number of schemes are under way to help it raise more cash.

They include the opening of its first charity shop in Lindley.

For further details about using the online shopping site visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk