OUR Christmas appeal to resurface the play area at Ipswich Hospital's children's wards reached a major milestone today.A donation of £1,000 from the East of England Co-operative Society has pushed us half-way towards our target.

OUR Christmas appeal to resurface the play area at Ipswich Hospital's children's wards reached a major milestone today.

A donation of £1,000 from the East of England Co-operative Society has pushed us half-way towards our target.

We need to raise £30,000 for the Let Them Play appeal to be a success and are now well on the way to achieving our goal.

Nigel Pickover, Evening Star editor, said: “The Co-op has been a huge and fantastic supporter of our appeals.

“We have a constant major backer helping us and that has given me the confidence to say to others 'we are together and we are doing things'.”

The East of England Co-op has been a supporter of The Evening Star's Christmas appeals for the past eight years and has raised more than £50,000.

The majority of this money has come from the 977 dividend - set up exclusively for The Evening Star's appeals.

Shoppers at the Co-op can quote the special number instead of their usual dividend number and directly support the Star's campaign.

Miriam Harrup, spokeswoman for the East of England Co-op, said: “We have got a consistency of support from our shoppers.

“We have really got to thank Co-op members in the Ipswich and Norwich area.

“Last year 977 raised £7,000 for the Star's appeal with an additional £1,000 which we donated.”

The special dividend number will be in place until at least the end of the January sales so there is still plenty of opportunity for shoppers to support the Let Them Play appeal and help put a smile on the faces of dozens of poorly youngsters.

For some the play area at the children's wards is the only glimpse they get of the outside world and it is in desperate need of a revamp.

It has not been resurfaced since 1988 and is becoming too hard and unsafe for youngsters to use.

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How 977 has helped the Star's appeals

1997 NSPCC appeal - 977 raised £4,935

1998 Beacon Hill School appeal - 977 raised £5,000.

1999 St Elizabeth Hospice - 977 raised £7,500.

2000/2002 Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service - 977 raised £6,000.

2001 Vicky Hall Appeal and Terri Calversbert Appeal - 977 raised £3,000 for each

2003 Cancer Campaign in Suffolk Information Centre - 977 raised £7,000.

2004 Felixstowe General Hospital appeal - 977 raised £7,000