Volunteers at Rotherham Dog Rescue group want to raise £1 million in order to build a dedicated rescue centre in the town.

They will team up with Mexborough Marathon man Tommy Joyce to launch the appeal at Tesco's on Sunday (December 2) at 10am, where Tommy will do a sponsored treadmill run to kick start the fundraising campaign.

The charity, founded in 2000, currently runs their service from dog kennels in Wickersley where they rescued and re-housed more than 200 dogs last year.

They also provide a "long term fostering" scheme in which they offer to help pay vetinary fees for elderly dogs which are struggling to be re-housed.

But with a plush new centre, the charity hope to increase their services and the number of kennels they provide. There would also be scope for expanding their education programme in which they help new owners learn about looking after rescue dogs.

Moya Stinson, Corporate fundraiser for Rotherham Dog Rescue, said: "We could greatly expand our service if our appeal is successful."