CORONATION Street's Joe Carter will be the star of Bolton Hospice's Yellow Summer Gala this weekend.

Actor Jonathon Wrather, who plays the cunning fraudster, will open the event at 11am on Saturday. The yellow-themed family fun day is part of National Hospice Awareness month, and will include stalls, games, children's entertainment -- and yellow food! The colour yellow has been adopted for this month's fund-raising campaign to represent sunshine.

Entry to the gala in the hospice grounds in Chorley New Road is free for those dressed in yellow -- otherwise there is a £1 charge.

The director of fundraising at the hospice, Debra Graham, said: "It's great to have someone from Corrie here, especially with him being a focal point in the storyline at the moment.

"We are expecting hundreds of people to turn up.

"Last year we raised £6,000, so we hope to beat that target this time."

Throughout June, trees in the grounds of the hospice will be adorned with yellow ribbons as tributes to special individuals who are being nominated by local hospice supporters.

Anyone wanting to add their loved one to the yellow-ribbon canopy of sunshine should contact the fundraising department on 01204 520040 and pledge a donation to the hospice.

All donations will be acknowledged with a personalised letter and will include the name of their special person.

Money raised will help towards the charity's running costs, which are about £1.8 million a year.