An annual raffle held by a charity in Ulverston has 'broken all records' after smashing a previous fundraising total.

St Mary's Hospice revealed its early autumn raffle brought in an 'astonishing' £30,853.

This means that the 2024 fundraiser had resulted in more donations than any other single raffle in the hospice's 35-year history.

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A spokesperson from St Mary's Hospice said: "A huge thanks to everyone who took part in our annual raffle.

"This total smashes our previous best, and we’re eternally grateful to everyone who got involved."

This year represents the 35th anniversary for the hospice and, to mark the occasion, the charity upped the big prize to £3,500, with three people also getting to claim £350.

The winner of the top prize was Alan Ralph, who is originally from Barrow but now lives in Middlesbrough.

He has supported St Mary’s in the past by taking part in their Walk to Remember event in memory of his two grandmothers, who were both cared for by the hospice.

Thanks to his previous donations, he received a copy of the charity's Voice magazine - a publication released once a year to detail the work done by St Mary's - in the post and entered the raffle by sending his tickets back.

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After hearing the news, Alan said: "What a lovely surprise - it has made my day.

"St Mary’s is a wonderful place, and I’ve always been proud to support them.”

Last year, with one lucky supporter winning £2,500, the total raised stood at £27,754, with the anniversary celebrations in 2024 inspiring even more support from the local community and beyond. 

Tickets for the raffle cost entrants just £1 and were made available to subscribers of the Voice magazine, with some also sold from the hospice's hub in Ulverston.