IT is a well known fact that fundraising is the lifeblood of any hospice. But when you're talking about achieving a target of more than half a million pounds, you begin to get an idea of how much effort is needed to maintain the invaluable work that St Luke's Hospice provides.

Two years ago the Winsford hospice expanded the East Wing of its palliative care centre with additional space for day care, education, complementary therapy, family support and catering.

This was a natural progression for St Luke's, which believes the patient's whole body should be cared for as well as the whole family.

Appeals manager Wendy Gibson said the expansion was an effective way to help more people.

"We are a relatively small operation and the day hospice only takes 15. The expansion was a way to reach more patients and their families in mid to south Cheshire," she said.

But the development brought with it the daunting price tag of £540,000 and the project was quite unique in that it was built before the money was even raised.

"It was a retrospective appeal," explained Wendy.

"The hospice needed the expansion right away because the waiting lists were too long. The trustees had faith in the community and that is what got it open and operating."

St Luke's president Rosie Spiegelberg officially unveiled the East Wing in February 2005 and the appeal was born.

An East Wing committee was launched at McAlpine's House in Knutsford and was chaired by staunch St Luke's supporter Mike Heler, of Joseph Heler Ltd.

The committee was responsible for fundraising exclusively for the East Wing Appeal and Wendy stressed this was fundamentally important as it was absolutely vital the appeal did not get in the way of the regular revenue of the hospice.

"Our two objectives were to raise the money but also not to interfere with the day-to-day fundraising," she said.

"St Luke's has to raise £4,650 a day, 365 days a year just to keep operating."

Another challenge the committee members faced was that they could only actively fundraise in the catchment area of mid and south Cheshire and had to rely on the solidarity of the community.

But any fears about the project's potential to succeed were soon put aside as the people of Cheshire showed unparalleled support for the worthy cause.

One of the most unusual fundraisers was the sponsored ladies' driving day, which saw around 40 women driving vehicles you might not associate with everyday life such as quad bikes and a hovercraft.

Even St Luke's president Rosie Spiegelberg took the helm of the vehicles in the name of the East Wing Appeal.

Other somewhat less adrenaline pumping events included a fishing competition and a Moroccan ball courtesy of John Timpson, of Timpson Shoes, which raised £40,000.

Wendy said the continued support of Limited Edition's sister paper the Winsford Guardian was invaluable, as well as grants and capital appeals from generous companies in the area.

She added: "The people in Cheshire could see what we were doing and believed in what we were doing. It was the little money as well as the big money that made the difference.

"For example, one day I opened the mail and there was a £50,000 cheque from the Wolson Foundation.

"On the same day, two young girls came into reception and brought in £15 each from a dinner party they had put on for more than 20 people. This donation was just as important as the other.

"The community believes in us because we have positively affected lots and lots of families and people don't forget that."

Like a giant Christmas present, the appeal funds were recouped in December and the East Wing has been very warmly received.

The seminar room and library have also been utilised by health care professionals to learn about palliative care and as such, the ideas of St Luke's are spreading far across the region.

So what's next for the hospice?

"It never stops," said Wendy.

"We've made in-roads into our waiting list and finished the extension but we've still got so much to do. At the moment, we're gearing up for the next ladies' midnight walk which we hope will raise a record-breaking £250,000."

St Luke's opened in 1988 offering carer support for people with life threatening illnesses and their families in mid and south Cheshire.

The hospice has attained the Investor In People award three times since 2001.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk or call 01606 551246.