I WAS pleased to read on the front page of last week's Weston & Somerset Mercury how a massive campaign to raise thousands of pounds for Weston Hospicecare has been launched to mark the charity's 20th anniversary...

I WAS pleased to read on the front page of last week's Weston & Somerset Mercury how a massive campaign to raise thousands of pounds for Weston Hospicecare has been launched to mark the charity's 20th anniversary including �35,000 by your newspaper for a community nurse as part of Weston Hospicecare's 'Do just one thing' anniversary appeal for the Uphill based Hospice.

I know that our Weston Hospicecare does a wonderful job in Weston and the surrounding area which provides a number of services including specialist palliative care, in-patient care, a day hospice, home care provided by the Hospice at Home service, physiotherapy, bereavement counselling and a chaplaincy and offers invaluable and specialist palliative care for patients and their families living with non-curable illnesses in North Somerset.

A large proportion of Weston Hospicecare's work takes place in people's homes backed up by a team of volunteers.

Community palliative care nurses provide specialist care alongside what is already given by the patients own doctors and district nurses.

The Hospice at Home also enables those who wish to, to die at home, supported by the Hospice at Home and Community nurses.

Another key service Weston Hospicecare provides is the hospice bereavement manager and team, who support patients, carers and their families before and after death and provide a caring, listening ear to people of all ages.

The annual running costs for the Hospice are in excess of �2.7million and it receives around 20 per cent from the Primary Care Trust. The charity is heavily reliant on legacies, and money is also generated through trusts and grants, the Hospices charity shops and fund-raising activities such as the sponsored women-only Midnight Walk on Weston's beach. Without the trustees the wonderful volunteers, the nurses and those who raise invaluable funds and benefactors, our Weston Hospicecare would not be a reality.

So lets hope and urge all Weston & Somerset Mercury readers will dig deep into their pockets and support this worthwhile 'Do just one thing' anniversary appeal.

D F COURTNEY

Victoria Park, Weston