Damien Hirst sketch going for £1

Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull sold for £50m

A sketch by one of the world's most famous living artists is being offered as a prize in a £1 raffle.

Visitors to Leeds City Art Gallery will get the chance to own an original work by Damien Hirst, being raffled in aid of Heart Research UK.

Hirst, who studied at Leeds College of Art, has also signed the sketch, which covers a catalogue featuring some of his most famous works.

In August this year a diamond-encrusted skull by Hirst sold for £50m.

Why should always the well-heeled have the opportunity of buying something special? Jeffrey Sherwin, raffle organiser

Dr Jeffrey Sherwin, who organised the raffle, said it was fitting that the work was up for grabs to people from Leeds, or "at the very least someone who has climbed the steps... of the gallery as Damien Hirst did when he was a student".

He said: "As Damien is essentially a Leeds lad I asked him if he would help and he came up trumps with a catalogue covered with a great sketch, signed and dated.

"It would have been normal to put such a work up for auction at a posh dinner and in fact Sotheby's offered to sell it in their sale but frankly I didn't think that was fair.

"Why should always the well-heeled have the opportunity of buying something special?"

Heart Research UK, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, is a national charity based in Leeds which funds medical research projects into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.

The charity currently funds more than £2.5m of research projects at 33 hospitals and universities across the UK.

The raffle tickets are on sale until 19 December.