AYRSHIRE Hospice is encouraging you to Go Purple for its annual mammoth fundraiser.

The charity is getting ready for this year’s Go Purple day which will take place on Friday, October 11, during national Hospice Care Week.

The fundraising team are encouraging the South Ayrshire community to get on board - whether it’s wearing purple to work or school, baking purple cakes, or doing a purple sponsored challenge in aid of the hospice.

Over the last eight years the “Go Purple” campaign has raised over £144,000 for the hospice and has seen people from all parts of Ayrshire come together to raise vital funds for the local charity.

Ron Swanson, Assistant Fundraising Manager at the Ayrshire Hospice said: “Go Purple is now a fun and treasured fundraising campaign at Ayrshire Hospice.

“As fundraisers, it’s brilliant to get out in the community and see the funny, innovative and exciting activities that supporters have come up with for Go Purple.

“We are so lucky that Ayrshire Hospice is so well respected in the Ayrshire community and we invite Ayrshire to join with us in our 30th anniversary year to make this year’s Go Purple the best one yet.”

Last year it cost almost £7.7million to run the hospice, equating to over £21,200 per day. Of that £7.4million, over £4.5million has to be raised from voluntary donations alone.

The hospice provides care where there is no cure for someone’s condition, but which aims to improve the quality of each day for people who have a limited time to live.

Sometimes that will mean caring for someone who is approaching the end of their life, making them as comfortable as possible in the hospice in-patient unit or at home.

At other times it will be supporting someone with a life-limiting illness at a much earlier stage – perhaps through offering them a place at the hospice day services centre or working with their team of specialist community nurses.

So if you want to take part, bake a purple cake, tie up your purple laces or pull on your purple tights and sign up to get your fundraising pack. Call the hospice fundraising team on 01292 288488 or email community@ayrshirehospice.org