A DROITWICH family has raised more than £1,000 as a thank you to St Richard’s Hospice.

Paul Fletcher died in December 2010, aged 34, after valiantly fighting several cancers for more than two years.

Earlier this month, Paul’s family, including his mum Sue, Paul’s wife Sarah and their son Jack, Paul’s sister Jane and her husband and children, participated in a fund-raising challenge for the hospice, which cared for Paul.

The family completed a three-mile walk from Worcester to Blooms Garden Centre near Claines on what would have been Paul’s 36th birthday, and collected money from regulars at Droitwich and Worcester pubs along the route.

Paul’s family collected an impressive £617 from the generous customers of Webbs Garden Centre, in Wychbold.

Sue and Paul's dad, John Fletcher, have also regularly opened their garden to raise money for the hospice.

John said: “Paul had marvellous support from all who were involved in his treatment but particularly from the marvellous folk who work at St Richard’s Hospice.

“Paul spent the last month of his life in the hospice under the care of the doctors and nurses there and they were totally caring, competent, professional and loving towards him, his wife and four year old son and all the family through a very difficult and stressful time.”

St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care for patients living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and supports their families. Each year the hospice team supports more than  2,300 patients and family members in Worcestershire.

For more details about the hospice see strichards.org.uk.