An anonymous donor has paid �500,000 towards the campaign to save Holehird when it is sold by the charity Leonard Cheshire.

Organisers of the New Holehird group say they are overwhelmed by the gesture, since they announced two weeks ago that they need to raise �2.8m.

Holehird, a care home for disabled people, is to close within three years.

'Optimistic' mood

A number of other smaller donations have also been received by the campaigners.

The group's chairman, Malcolm Thorogood, says there was a mood of optimism among the home's 26 residents.

The charity has blamed the closure plan on the impact of legislative changes, such as requirement for en-suites bathrooms, which would cost too much to install at Holehird.

Instead, the charity said it planned to spend �3m on a new residential centre serving Cumbria and North Lancashire.