A STAIRLIFT company has given a £20,000 boost to a charity which supports the terminally ill.

Steeton-based Acorn Stairlifts raised the money by donating £10 for every stairlift installed during a six-week period between April and June this year.

A cheque was handed over to Marie Curie at its Bradford hospice.

The presentation marked a double celebration, as Acorn announced that in the past three years it had donated and installed more than 150 stairlifts to enable Marie Curie patients to be cared for at home.

Caren Larkman-Ayre, Acorn’s national sales manager, said the firm was “very proud” to support the charity.

“Marie Curie does amazing work caring for people during exceptionally difficult times,” she added.

“The stairlifts we have installed help people living with a terminal illness to make the most of the time they have with their loved ones.

“With such vital, life-enhancing work already undertaken by this incredible charity, we are delighted to support it even further.

“We know from our customers how life-changing a stairlift can be and we’re proud to be helping even more people through our partnership with Marie Curie.”

Christine Hamilton-Stewart, patron of Marie Curie, said corporate support was vital to charities.

She added: “To see this incredibly generous partnership between Acorn Stairlifts and Marie Curie have an impact on our patients nationally and locally is absolutely fantastic.

“For families where quality of life is of the essence, fast access to a free stairlift means precious time can be spent at home.

“This £20,000 raised will help to extend our care to many families in need of our support.

“We are delighted that Acorn has pledged such a significant amount and look forward to the partnership continuing to blossom into the future.”

Acorn Stairlifts – which is based at the Millennium Business Park, in Station Road – has manufactured and installed stairlifts for more than two decades.

The firm, which also has a factory at Haddington in Scotland and offices across the world, exports its stairlifts to more than 80 countries.

Acorn employs over 800 people in the UK, and the company has been named a ‘British manufacturing champion’.