IT may be seen by many as nothing more than a cash cow for pop mogul Simon Cowell.

However, the ITV show X Factor is to do its bit to help a local charity this Christmas by donating all of the profits of the latest winner’s single to children’s hospices.

Officials from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) spoke of their delight after it emerged that the charity will benefit from the sale of James Arthur’s first single, which was released after the X Factor final on Sunday night.

Syco, the company run by Simon Cowell and Sony Music, has pledged to donate 100% of the profits from the sale of every CD and download of Impossible to Together for Short Lives, a national charity which supports 50 children’s hospices, including EACH.

The charity, which supports and cares for children with life-threatening conditions and their families, has also been boosted by the news that the Government will waive VAT on sales of the X Factor winner’s charity single by making an exceptional one-off charitable donation to Together for Short Lives.

EACH has three hospices in the region in Quidenham, near Attleborough, Ipswich, and Milton in Cambridgeshire and needs to raise �5.75million from public donations every year to deliver its services.

Melanie Chew, director of fundraising at EACH, said she was “delighted” by the X Factor support for the charity.

“A share of the proceeds from James Arthur’s winner’s single will come to EACH to help us support the children and families we work with.

“Your purchase will help us continue our services which are a lifeline to them. It will really help to raise awareness of the needs of children and families we support, and important funding to allow us to do even more to help them,” she said.

It is the first time the X Factor winner’s single will be in aid of a charity

James Arthur’s first song has already reached the top of the iTunes chart.

The 24-year-old said: “I love the song and am so glad that proceeds of the single will be going to such a great cause.”

Barbara Gelb, chief executive officer of Together for Short Lives, added: “James Arthur’s single is fantastic and with such a talent behind it we couldn’t have asked for a better boost for singles sales.

“We are also delighted that the Chancellor of the Exchequer agreed to our request for a VAT waiver.

“The generous waiver will mean a further 20% on top of sales.”

Last year EACH cared for 478 children and young people, a 21% increase from previous years, offering overnight short breaks, day care, specialist play, music therapy, hydrotherapy, parent and sibling groups, symptom management support, care at end of life and bereavement support for all family members.

The Duchess of Cambridge became the charity’s patron last year.

Last year’s X Factor winners Little Mix sold around 210,000 copies of their single in the first week and the previous winner Matt Cardle sold 400,000 copies in total.