LANDLORDS in Plymouth have donated a cheque for £4,000 to the Children's Hospice South West.

The South West Landlords' Association – which is made up mostly of landlords in Plymouth – presented the cheque at a residential letting event at the Guildhall.

The landlords raised the money from their own association funds, which they voluntarily pump money into during each year.

Trevor Anderson, SWLA chairman, said: "Each year we have an annual meeting at the Novotel in Plympton to discuss the past and forthcoming years.

"At each annual meeting over the past three years we have voted to give some of our funds to charity.

"This year, at the annual meeting in January, we decided to give £4,000 to the children's hospice, because it is such a local charity to us.

"We also decided to donate a further £1,000 to Brainwave, a charity in Exeter."

Mr Anderson said the charity donations were started because of SWLA former chairman Mike Langfield, who sadly died from cancer in back March 2005, aged 60.

Money was donated to St Luke's Hospice in Mr Langfield's honour.

Mr Anderson said the tradition has stuck ever since.

"We wanted to present the cheque at the lettings event at the Guildhall this year, so we could help publicise both the hospice and the SWLA.

"We were really pleased to be able to give such a large sum. We like to be a charitable voluntary association."

The hospice South West, based at Little Bridge House, near Barnstaple, relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions and fundraising events to meet its massive annual running costs.

The event at the Guildhall provided information about residential letting attracted more than 170 landlords.

The showcase – a joint venture between Plymouth City Council and the SWLA – featured Linda Gilroy MP, who gave a short address.

Mr Anderson said: "It was a good event and an excellent place for us to make our donation."