CHERNOBYL charity workers and generous theatre-goers have raised £300 for the Free Press/Aitchisons Appeal.

Staff at the Wycombe Swan theatre in High Wycombe decided to hold a collection after they read about the appeal in the paper.

Sally Jamieson and Maggie Doel were killed when a lorry ran out of control on Amersham Hill, High Wycombe, and crashed in to Aitchisons estate agents in Easton Street.

The trust fund was established to help the five children whose mothers were killed in the accident on June 14.

Joy Griffiths, one of the collection organisers, said: "The idea came from one of our technicians Danny Walters. We have an official charity but he asked if we could help the Aitchisons appeal in some way."

"We asked the Chernobyl Children's Lifeline charity, who are our chosen charity, if they could help out.

"They collect money at all the performances and on the Saturday night they decided to give the proceeds to the Aitchisons appeal."

The money was collected at the showing of Hot Mikado, part of Wycombe Swan's Summer Youth Project.

In the two months since the accident companies and individuals have raised more than £5,000 for the appeal.

A T-shirt signed by eight famous cricketers, including Mark Waugh, is being auctioned off to raise money for the fund. Send your bid or make out your donations to "Doel and Jamieson Fund REF MNE" and send to James Clements, Bucks Free Press, Gomm Road, High Wycombe, HP13 7DW