RESIDENTS of the Faithful City are being urged to ditch traditional Christmas cards in favour of an innovative way of sending their festive greetings that will help raise cash for life-limited children in Worcestershire.

Instead of sending traditional cards, schools, colleges, businesses and organisations are being invited to send their messages on a specially designed Christmas tree poster which will raise cash for the Acorns Children's Hospice Trust.

The trust is attempting to raise the final £1m of the £4m it needs to build a hospice in Bath Road, Worcester.

The hospice will support and provide palliative care for more than 250 life-limited children and their families from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.

As well as needing to raise the final £1m to complete the building of the hospice, which should be opened by the end of next year, the trust also needs to raise a further £1m each year to fund the running of the centre.

"We're suggesting that each message costs £1 a time so a completed poster is worth £25," said Fran Winterbourn, fund-raising co-ordinator for the charity.

"If we can distribute 200 posters that would mean £5,000 towards the build of the new hospice.

"I hope lots of local businesses and schools will sign up for our festive fund-raising poster and help make a difference to local life-limited children and their families."

In Worcestershire, there are more than 100 children who have serious illnesses which means they are unlikely to reach adulthood.

The trust provides invaluable support for these youngsters and respite for their families, but currently they have to travel to its only two existing hospices in Birmingham and Walsall.

The new 10-bed hospice in Worcester will include a hydrotherapy pool, multi-sensory rooms, and family rooms as well as facilities for young children and teenagers.

To obtain a poster call the trust on 01905 767676.