WORLD famous boxing star Robin Reid paid a visit to SUM's offices last week to draw the winning tickets in a raffle raising money for Francis House Children's Hospice.

For the super-middleweight fighter took time out from the build up to his summer bout to help the Hospice Appeal reach it's target of £5 million.

The fund-raising idea is the brainchild of Urmston boxing trainer Bob Anderson who has already raised over £3,000 for the appeal with a sportsman's dinner along with Robin last year and hopes that the raffle will add to that figure.

Appeal organiser Susie Mathis told SUM: "Every fund-raising effort helps us to head towards the target and hopefully ensure the hospice remains in place."

Manchester's sole children's hospice opened in 1991 and is funded through 'The Rainbow Family Trust' - but the annual running costs total £1 million and it is hard to keep going as the charity relies totally on voluntary donations.

Susie added: "Each year Francis House in Didsbury cares for over 150 children and provides a desperately needed home for families of a terminally ill child.

"But it is only with the help of people like Bob that we can achieve our Millennium Appeal aim to continue it's good work."

The winning numbers are Orange tickets - 54, 103, 272, 747, 762, 916, 957 and Pink tickets - 78, 438, 523, 598, 603, 608, 625, 828 and anyone who is a winner can claim their prize by contacting the Appeals office on 928-4706.

WITH PICS TAKEN BY DAVE ON WEDNESDAY

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.