A FUND-raising initiative for East Lancashire's three hospices brought in £1,400 last week.

Today organisers at the East Lancashire hospice in Blackburn said they were thrilled with the figure, which has taken the total for the Hospices Mini Raffle to more than £3,000.

For the first time Rossendale, East Lancashire and Pendleside hospices have teamed up in a bid to raise £100,000 for patient care.

They hope to achieve this by raffling a Mini Cooper, donated by Musbury Fabrics, of Helmshore.

The initiative began last September and each month since the launch, a car similar to the prize has been travelling the area to promote the raffle.

Each month one of the hospices takes control of the Mini Cooper and arranges for it to be on display within the hospice area.

Tickets are then sold at each of the locations as well as from the hospices themselves. Throughout February, the car is in the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley area.

A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospice said: "Over the last week we have sold 1,400 tickets and we are thrilled to bits.

"I think people are now buying more tickets because we are into 2004 and the draw is nearer.

"This is our second stint with the car and we are trying to have it out five or six days a week."

All money raised from the campaign will go to the hospice served by the area it was collected in rather than having a three-way split of the total raised.

Tomorrow the Mini will be at Booths in Clitheroe, followed by Blackburn Morrisons on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Sunday it will be on display at Asda Accrington and organisers hope to site it at Clitheroe Market on Saturday.