STAFF from two Devizes businesses have done their bit to make lives happier for children who will go to the new Julia's House hospice which is due to open this spring.

At Morrisons employees gave up Christmas tokens given by the company so they could be used to buy teddy bears for youngsters who will go to the Devizes children's hospice nearing completion at Browfort.

Manager Chris Nichols said: "It is such a good cause that nearly everyone chose to give their vouchers to pay for the teddies that we were stocking in the store at Christmas.

"We managed to buy 38 bears and they will be used by the children who go to the hospice. I think one has already gone to a little girl who is being helped by Julia's House at home."

The bears were given to Julia's House staff and volunteers on Tuesday.

At Sixpenny Nursery a week of activities which included everything from children dressing as superheroes to staff being covered in gunge a total of £791.75 was raised for Julia's House.

Manager Paddy Griffin handed over the cheque to the charity last Thursday. He said: "We had a full week of fundraising for this amazing local charity. These activities included cake sales, a parent and child Zumba session, superhero/book character dress up and the sponsored gloop where our nursery room leaders got gunged."

The week also included a book sale organised with Kirsty Hinton from Usborne and sponsored reading games that meant £300 of books were also given to Julia's House.

Mr Griffin said: "I would like to hank all the parents and children of Sixpenny for their generous donations, my wonderful staff and our Usborne book representative Kirsty."