Seven Saracen shirts boost the Dispossessed fund

A top London rugby team and one of the capital's leading businesses have donated a total of more than £13,000 in the latest contributions to the Evening Standard's Dispossessed Fund.

Premiership club Saracens raised £3,150 at its pre-season dinner at Centre Point's Paramount Club last night by selling seven signed first team shirts for £450 each.

It has pledged its commitment to backing the fund, which support charities and groups helping London's worst off. The first team will wear Dispossessed logos on their shorts all season, beginning with their first game against London Irish at Twickenham on Saturday.

In a separate donation, the Guinness and Smirnoff drinks multi-national Diageo, based at Park Royal in west London, pledged £10,000.

The fund was launched in July and reached its initial target of £1 million last month. It has received the backing of the Prime Minister, who said the Standard's campaign had "stirred the conscience" of the capital.

The fund has received donations and backing from a wide spectrum of London figures, celebrities and businesses including the Duke of Westminster, Tottenham Hostpur football club and banking giant Goldman Sachs, as well as from many individual readers.