PRIMROSE Hospice, which is trying to raise £100,000 to ensure the free services it offers remain available to local people, has reached the £40,000 mark.

Helen Garfield, chief executive officer, thanked all the "fantastic people" who have helped the hospice to reach this amount, and encouraged people to carry on giving.

She added: "The money will help to ensure that the Hospice can continue its vital care of those individuals and families from the local community who need our support. The Big Appeal is still going on, so if you haven’t had chance to support us so far, please do join in.

"We are about to launch our Lights of Love campaign, which we run every year to give people the chance to remember a loved one and include their name around our Christmas Trees in Bromsgrove, Redditch and Rubery. Christmas is a special time of year for thinking about those you love and miss and our Lights of Love campaign is a perfect way to remember them."

There will lots of other fun family events this Christmas, including Santa Zumba, being run by Nicki Carless in Sanders Park, Bromsgrove, on November 30.

The hospice will also be holding its Santa Dash at the Kingfisher Centre in Redditch on Sunday, December 7, when people can walk, jog or run the one mile route, as many times as they wish. The hospice will even provide a Santa suit for both events. Call the fundraising team to book a place on 01527 875444, or book online at primrosehospice.org.

To donate to the BIG Appeal, send a cheque payable to Primrose Hospice, with the donor's name and address, to BIG Appeal, Primrose Hospice, St. Godwalds Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 3BW, donate cash at the Primrose Hospice itself or at one of its six shops, or text PHBA01 £12/£26/£57 to 70070.

Alternatively, donate online at primrosehospice.org/bigappeal or call 01527 889796 to donate over the phone by card

If people would prefer to organise an event for Primrose, they can contact the fundraising team on 01527 889796 to request a fundraising toolkit.