COUNCIL workers hope to raised hundreds of pounds for children's charities by donating their last hour's earnings of 1999 to a national campaign.

Ribble Valley Council has agreed to match the £600 pledged by more than 65 staff to the Children's Promise Millennium Appeal.

Money from the appeal will go to Barnado's, Childline, BBC Children-in-Need, the Children's Society, NCH Action for Children, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Comic Relief.

The council's personnel committee chairman Coun David Smith said: "We are pleased that so many staff have pledged their support to this very worthy fund-raising programme and are happy to match the contributions."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.