ON behalf of all of us involved with the East Lancashire Hospice, I would sincerely like to thank everyone who has supported us in raising £200,000 in our first year of the appeal.

Our target is to raise £1,300,000 for a new Specialist Day Therapy Centre which is urgently required to provide East Lancashire with a modern Hospice, fully able to meet the community's needs into the New Millennium.

Most of our support has come from individual donations and events which people have organised and held on our behalf, but we are also most grateful to all those companies who sponsored our very successful balloon launch last Saturday, most of whom have already been publicly thanked.

However, two more came in at a late stage and we would like to thank them both for their support. They are Netlon Ltd, Blackburn and 3M Neotechnic, Clitheroe.

I very much hope that we shall continue to receive support over the coming year, when we are aiming to at least double the amount raised last year. Please do not hesitate to contact the Appeal Office on 01254 660900.

GEOFF BRAITHWAITE, Chairman, The East Lancashire Hospice Fund.

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