A DONATION of £10,000 from a kind-hearted benefactor has safeguarded the future of a charity which supports people living with life-threatening illnesses.

Lifespan Complementary, based in Hexham, was under threat of closure earlier this year due to a lack of funding following the withdrawal of National Lottery grant two years ago.

After reading of the charity’s struggles in the Hexham Courant in May, a Tyne Valley businessman, who did not wish to be identified, contacted its operations manager Sheila Webb to organise the donation of £10,000.

The money will be used to open a charity shop on Hexham’s Market Street, with the hope of generating future income for Lifespan.

Mrs Webb said: “The benefactor had supported the charity every year, but we didn’t receive a donation this year, and we thought he must have not wanted to support it any more.

“After the Courant article, he knew we were struggling and he knew the charity well, so he wanted to give us £10,000 which we will use to open a charity shop.

“We are over the moon because we were seriously thinking we might be closing in six months’ time, and we have been going for 14 years, so that would have been a great shame.

“I don’t think the donation will get us out of the mire completely, but it will provide an opportunity to earn extra income through the charity shop and it will give us longer to apply for other grants in the long term.”