A moving video made by Michael Sobell Hospice highlights how much the vital care provided by staff and volunteers means to its patients.
The hospice, based at Mount Vernon Hospital in Rickmansworth Road, Northwood , has a 16 bed in-patient unit as well as a day therapy centre.
It is the chosen charity of the Mayor of Hillingdon , Catherine Dann, during her year of office.
In the touching video, chief executive Helen Elliot explains how important fundraising is to the survival of the hospice.
“Every year Michael Sobell Hospice Charity has to raise £1.5million to ensure that all the vital services that we do are maintained, and we contribute about 40 per cent of the running costs of the hospice.
“In simple terms what that means is that we contribute about £2 out of every £5 that is spent on patient care," she said.
“Every day we have to raise about £2,500 so that’s an awful lot of people supporting us and we are really indebted to the community for their support, we couldn’t do it without them.”
It is for exactly those reasons that Michael Sobell Hospice is calling for the community to get involved and support its Hospice Care Week campaign, supported by www.communitybuzz.co.uk, called #5easythings.
Laura Kaye, marketing and communications officer at MSH, said: “This year we thought it would be nice to give people the chance to get involved in Hospice Care Week in any small way that they can.
"Helping the hospice can be as simple as making a donation, helping us to raise awareness of our work by following us on social media or having one of our collection boxes at home or at work. Every little gesture helps towards patient care at MSH.”
Hospice Care Week, which runs from October 6 - 12, is an annual awareness-raising week of events and activities to help raise the profile of hospice care across the UK.
Michael Sobell Hospice is using the week to ask people to do one of five easy things to help raise the profile of the work that is done there and to raise funds for its patients.
1. Make an online donation to MSH via their website http://www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk/donate
2. Put an MSH charity box or tin in their home, office, school or workplace. Call Christine on 01923 844730 to arrange to receive a MSH charity box
3. Hold an appeal for unwanted goods for the MSH charity shops at their home, office, school or workplace. The charity can collect unwanted goods from any local venue in their van. Call David on 01923 844152 to arrange a collection
4. Like the MSH Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to share and re-tweet all their posts and tweets during Hospice Care Week @MSobellHospice and www.facebook.com/michaelsobellhospice
5. Hold a bake sale, dress down day,raffle or any other sponsored event to raise funds at home, in the office, or at school - call Ophelia on 01923 844829 for help with any of these fundraising activities
The charity will be posting updates of people completing any of the five easy things on its social media sites and is asking people on Twitter to use the hashtag #5easythings and #HospiceCareWeek so it can keep track of those taking part.
Lisa-Jayne Ward, director at Community Buzz, said: "I am delighted to support Michael Sobell Hospice with their campaign this year – we hope to extend the campaign online to all of our community supporters and get them involved in any way they are able to."
For more information on Michael Sobell Hospice go to www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk or contact Laura Kaye on 01923 844906.
