A GROUP of work friends have helped raise more than £1,000 for a variety of charities, including two from Halton.

The colleagues, who all work at United Utilities in Great Sankey, collected money throughout 2012 and have recently donated cash to a number of good causes.

The money was shared between Halton Haven Hospice, Co Awareness in Runcorn, the special care baby unit at Whiston Hospital, Warrington Open Door at Christmas, 20 Stories High in Liverpool, The John Holt Cancer Support Foundation in Warrington, and Radio Warrington.

Mark Bird, who helped to organise the collections, said the group wanted to split the money between different charities with money donated varying in amounts from £250 to £100.