HOSPICES from Worcester have joined a TV campaign to raise awareness of the valuable work they do.

‘Love your Local Hospice’, the series of TV advertisements, will be shown on ITV over 10 days, starting this Sunday (February 14), and will showcase the love, care, friendship and support each of the hospices provides to children and adults and their families.

Acorns Children’s Hospice in Bath Road, Worcester, St Richard's Hospice in Wildwood Drive, Worcester together with KEMP Hospice and Primrose Hospice are part of the 16-strong collaboration that has come together to break down perceptions surrounding hospice care.

Each year, hospices across the West Midlands area care for over 26,000 adult patients and support over 1,500 children and their families.

The cost of providing all these services each year is approximately £80 million and many hospices are reliant on voluntary donations to meet these.

Louise Arnold, director of income generation at Acorns, said: “It costs Acorns £9.3million every year to provide our specialist care and almost all of this is funded by local fundraising.

"By joining together with other local hospices we’re highlighting how important it is that this support continues.”

Tricia Cavell, fundraising director for St Richard’s Hospice, said: “With this campaign we're hoping to break down myths and barriers by bringing the reality of what we are all about into people's homes and onto their TV screens.

"Joining forces on this project has been a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved by working together.”

For more information and full list of hospices involved is available on www.loveyourlocalhospice.org.uk