A local hospice is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a week of events culminating in a grand ball.

Staff at St Catherine's, in Lostock Hall, are hoping it will give all their supporters a chance to join the celebrations.

The events, from September 7-10, will include a sixties disco, a music show, and a business dinner, all taking place in a giant luxury marquee in the hospice's grounds in Lostock Lane.

The hospice, which provides palliative care for terminally ill patients, opened on April 29, 1985, the feast of Catherine of Sienna, after whom the facility is named.

But it was launched before then by a group of trustees, who started by raising funds and looking for a site to serve Preston, Chorley, and South Ribble.

The site they found was believed to be the site of the 13th century building, Lostock Hall, built by James de Lostock.

The first hospice service began on the site in 1984, the Day Care section and an in-patient facility opened the following year.

In 1992 a £750,000 extension was built to provide extra beds and a £1.3million extension to the day care centre opened in 1997, following a Citizen fundraising campaign.

It costs more than £3million per year to run, of which around 30 per cent comes from the NHS.

Bev Taylor, community fundraiser, has worked at the hospice for four years. She said: "I really wanted to feel worthwhile in the community so I started at St Catherine's.

"We're delighted to be celebrating our 20th year. The week should be a great fundraiser to ensure we provide the best service we can."

For details of events, call 01772 629171.