BRIERLEY Hill businessman Mike 'the bed' Brown has given a £10,000 boost to help propel a Stourbridge hospice's fundraising efforts into the 21st century.

Long-time supporter Mr Brown, of Dreamland Bedding in Mill Street, has donated more than £125,000 to Mary Stevens Hospice over the years and his latest gift has enabled the charity to develop an online sales presence so items donated to its charity shops can be sold through sites such as Amazon and eBay to help bring in further funds.

Simon Henwood, trading director and head of finance at the hospice, said: “The rise of online sales activity has become an established part of modern life and the charity sector is not immune to this also.

"We have already undergone a significant transformation but we needed additional funds to set up the appropriate facilities and hardware in order for this to move forward.

"Fortunately Mike Brown and the staff of Dreamland Bedding, who are long-time supporters of the hospice, came to our aid and pledged up to £10,000 to fully develop the activity and staffing.”

The project to develop a digital sales hub has already seen the creation of three new jobs through the government's apprenticeship scheme and having an online sales presence means the charity can reach customers further afield than its traditional High Street charity shops can.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the new online sales hub can email the hospice trading team at admin@mshtrading.co or call 01384 671149.