I wanted to write and thank the Guardian for the fabulous donation of £5,500 from the Gannett Foundation towards the purchase of new syringe drivers for the in-patient unit here at St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood.

We were thrilled to receive this money to spend on these vital pieces of equipment, which will make such a massive difference to the care of our patients, who may be suffering extreme pain and discomfort at the end of their lives.

We only receive 30 per cent of the funding from the NHS that we need to keep our day to day services runn-ing.

With your help, we can continue to raise the profile of the hospice and encourage the local community to get involved with our fundraising efforts.

In 2014, we will be expanding our community services and we also have a number of exciting developments for patient care in the pipeline, so together we will also be able to ensure that those who most need our services are fully aware of the care and support that we can off- er.

Thank you once again from everyone at St Clare Hospice and we would also like to wish you all the very best for the New Year.

Elizabeth Palfreman, Director of fundraising, St Clare Hospice, Hastingwood.