A CHRISTCHURCH crowdfunding company, celebrating AFC Bournemouth's promotion, has raised more than £850 for Lewis Manning Hospice.

The business, tboom, creates custom t-shirts sent direct to supporters, with funds raised going straight to the important causes nominated.

When AFC Bournemouth was promoted to the Premier League, founder Ollie Galpin knew it was a great opportunity to raise money for a deserving local charity.

The campaign’s T-shirts, which feature an image of AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, together with phrases ‘In Eddie We Trust’ and ‘We’re Going Up!’ have proved enormously successful, outselling their 100 T-shirt target and being worn at the historic Cherries beachfront parade.

The founder said: “I set up the campaign because I could see AFC Bournemouth rising through the ranks, and I wondered whether there was a way we could raise some funds in aid of charity, off of their success.

"I’ve always admired the work of Lewis-Manning Hospice locally, and thought this was a great opportunity to kick off some fundraising.”

tboom was started in January by Ollie, who thought up the innovative, eye-catching way to raise money after decades of fundraising for his sister Amy, who has Angelman Syndrome.

And although Ollie set up this campaign, anyone who wants to raise money for a project or cause of choice can design their own custom T-shirt on the tboom website for free and invite people to purchase their creation by sharing the campaign online via their own social media channels.

Maria Tidy, fundraising manager at Lewis-Manning, said: “tboom has made a superb effort to raise much needed money for us in such a unique way. It’s community events like this that make a huge difference to our charity as we have to raise at least £65,000 each month towards the running costs of the hospice, which cares for more than 650 local people each year with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

“All our services are free and as well as our day services and clinics, and bedrooms are now opening on a phased basis, so this means that our costs are increasing.”