TWO charities enjoyed a surprise £38,000 windfall, thanks to donations from the Rocksavage Power Company.

They decided to support local causes to mark the Queen's opening of the new power plant.

Beneficiaries are Halton Hospital League of Friends' ECG appeal (£18,000) and Halton Haven (£20,000).

Rocksavage general manager Bruce Stewart said: "We are pleased to be able to demonstrate our support for local community activities with these contributions."

The League of Friends will buy a new electro-cardiograph machine to monitor and record heart defects.

And Halton Haven will now be able to develop its day care facilities for cancer patients.

Hospice founder and chief executive Dom Valdez said: "A donation this size doesn't come along very often and this came completely out of the blue - it has enabled us to complete so many jobs and buy more equipment for our day care centre."

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