MICHAEL Sobell Hospice, Northwood, will join forces with around 200 hospices across the UK to celebrate Hospice Care Week (October 9-15).

This year, the hospice is asking supporters to put the kettle on and hold a Cuppa For Care coffee morning or afternoon tea to raise money and awareness for the centre which provides specialist palliative care to local people in need.

MSH has produced a free down-loadable fund-raising pack, which is available from its website https://www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk/product/cuppa-for-care-for-msh/

The pack includes posters, invitations and bunting to help fund-raisers promote their event.

The hospice will also be holding its own Cuppa For Care event for day centre patients on Wednesday, October 11.

Sam Heggie, of MSH at Mount Vernon Hospital, said: “We really hope businesses and schools will get involved and hold a Cuppa For Care event in Hospice Care Week, as well as individuals, who can host an event at home with family and friends.

“It’s a really simple way of getting people together for a natter over a cuppa and raising money for a great local cause at the same time.

“This is a very special year for the hospice, which is celebrating 40 years of providing care in the community, so we hope that people will support us during this national awareness week.”

Hospice care supports adults and children living with life-limiting illness to live life as fully as possible. Wide-ranging support includes medical care, wellbeing therapies, such as massage, emotional support, such as counselling, and volunteer-led support, including befriending.

Each year across the UK, 200,000 terminally ill people receive hospice care.