Former EastEnders and Footballers Wives actress Gillian Taylforth has visited Leeds Building Society’s Head Office to receive a £12,000 donation on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Taylforth was performing in ‘Girls Night’ at City Varieties along with her sister Kim and they were presented with a large presentation cheque by Peter Hill, Leeds Building Society’s chief executive.

The sisters’ mother had cancer and was treated in a Marie Curie hospice. They and are now keen supporters of the charity.

The £12,000 donation is the annual payment from Leeds Building Society’s Your Interest in Theirs scheme. This works by members agreeing to forego up to 99p of their interest each year. This money is then split equally between the Society’s four partner charities, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Age UK, Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation and Variety, the Children’s Charity.

“We were delighted to welcome Kim and Gillian to our Head Office to receive this £12,000 donation for Marie Curie,” said Peter Hill.

“The Your Interest in Theirs scheme is a great initiative, and these funds were raised thanks to our members generosity in kindly agreeing to donate the pence amount of their interest.”

Brian Curran, Marie Curie Cancer Care’s regional corporate development manager, said: “This donation will ensure that Marie Curie Cancer Care can continue to care for people with cancer and other life limiting conditions through our hospices and nurses in the community.

“It costs £20 to provide an hour’s care from a Marie Curie nurse, and therefore this donation will enable our nurses to have a significant impact on the lives of so many of our patients and their families.”