By Eleanor Prince

GRAMMY and multi-award winning musician Ed Sheeran has donated a signed guitar to raise funds for St Richard’s Hospice.

The kind donation of a Martin & Co Guitar is now part of a live online auction signed with the message ‘Play This Guitar!’

It was provided by Ed in recognition to someone special to him who received special care and every penny will support the hospice’s free specialist care and support to over 3,000 patients and family members.

Tricia Cavell, fundraising director at the hospice said: "This is really exciting and came out of the blue.

"We were contacted and asked if we’d be happy to accept this amazing donation. Of course it only took us about 10 seconds to say 'absolutely we would.'"

The online auction is underway and the highest bidder will win the guitar at jumblebee.co.uk/signededsheeranguitar.

She added: "We’re thrilled to be able to auction this in time for Christmas online, ready to hopefully attract that global market of all his fans out there."