A MAGNIFICENT start to Kemp Hospice's multi-million pound appeal has seen almost a quarter of the cash raised within six months.

The public launch of the £2.2 million campaign - the largest ever in Wyre Forest - took place on Friday.

Donations of £50,000 on the night saw the project to build a new hospice soar past the £500,000 mark.

Money for the scheme - only unveiled last October - has come from trusts, companies and the public, with two cheques for £20,000 being handed over at the Spring Grove House launch at West Midland Safari Park.

"We didn't anticipate such a quick response," said campaign manager John Fletcher.

"Half-a-million pounds in the first six months without having had a public launch is a magnificent start to the appeal. And we feel it will just gain momentum once more people become involved.

"It is tremendously encouraging because we can see a fund of local support welling up in the community"

He added: "It doesn't matter who joins in. Groups or people may want to hold a coffee morning or a quiz night or a bring-and-buy sale. These represent small events but if enough people do them they can bring in very large amounts of money."

One of the more imaginitive fund-raisers has come from a Wyre Forest cricket club boosting the appeal by fining its players every time they drop a catch this summer - and they will have to stump up again if they express their disappointment by swearing.

Kemp Hospice, in Kidderminster's Sutton Park Road, cares for people with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis and its new state-of-the-art centre will include in-patient and day-care facilities.

Preliminary work on the centre will start before the end of the year, with completion due in 2004.