YORKSHIRE Building Society is wishing people in Taunton a very ‘Marie’ Christmas after they helped to smash a fundraising target for Marie Curie.

The Society’s Hour of Need campaign was launched in 2014 with the aim of raising £500,000 by December 2016 – enough to support over 25,000 hours of nursing care for people with a terminal illness and their families across the UK.

Thanks to the strength of support for the campaign, the fundraising target has been reached a year early with the current total standing at more than £700,000.

Every £20 raised funds one hour of care and customers and colleagues at the Yorkshire Building Society branch in Taunton has contributed £314 to the campaign, the equivalent of 15 hours of Marie Curie nursing care.

To celebrate, the branch, on East Street, will be hosting a Christmas themed thank you event on Wednesday, December 16, where people can enjoy some festive treats from the society.

People can also show their support for Marie Curie and spread a little festive cheer by buying a set of the charity’s stylish Christmas tree decorations with all proceeds supporting the Hour of Need campaign.

Lola Rowe, a Marie Curie Hospice Nurse, said: “Thank you to everybody who has contributed to the Hour of Need fundraising campaign for Marie Curie. It is an amazing amount of money that has been donated to date and is allowing myself and my colleagues to provide even more support to people in their hour of need.”

Paul Baker, manager of the Taunton branch of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “We’re so proud that customers in Taunton have helped us to make this the society’s most successful ever national fundraising campaign.

"We hope our customers will call in so we can give them some Christmas treats to say thank you.

“The Hour of Need campaign is having a real impact on terminally ill people and their families and we will continue to raise even more money over the next 12 months.”