HASLEMERE resident Matt Dellar, organiser of the ever-popular Devil’s Punch Bowl Boxing Day Run, presented the chairman of the Friends of Shottermill’s Holy Cross Hospital with a cheque for £3,500.

The money was raised at last year’s charity run, which was supported by hundreds of people. Matt has been mounting the annual event since 1997 and has raised tens of thousands of pounds for Holy Cross over the years.

The money has been put towards a variety of projects and highly valued items which help to support patients and enhance their quality of life.

Torquil Sligo-Young, chairman of the Hospital Friends, said: “Matt is a great friend of Holy Cross Hospital and I am personally very grateful for his support and enthusiasm over the years. He puts huge effort into making the Boxing Day Run the popular and incredibly successful event it has become, which makes it a very important fundraising event for us.”

On behalf of the patients, staff and supporters of the hospital, outgoing chief executive Christopher Hinton presented Matt with a commemorative glass in recognition of his support for the hospital.

Matt responded with a gift of his own and gave Mr Hinton an engraved tankard to thank him for his many years of personal support at the Boxing Day run.

Matt said: “The work that goes on at Holy Cross is amazing and it’s a privilege to be able to help patients and families in some small way.

“Many of the patients at Holy Cross have experienced illness or conditions such as stroke or have had car accidents –things that could happen to any of us or our loved ones at any time –so it’s a cause that is very worthy of our support.”

Nearly 600 people entered the 2017 event. Each person paid an entry fee to take part, with categories for men and women and a drinking category whereby runners stopped part way round for a pint of ale.

Sponsorship covers many of the costs of running the event, maximising the total raised for the hospital.

Holy Cross Hospital cares for around 40 patients with severe disability and complex needs.

The patients are highly dependent on receiving the specialist care provided by the hospital’s team.

•Details about how to enter the 2018 Boxing Day run will be available later in the year at www.boxing dayrun.org