I am writing clarify the mismatch between your two reports involving St John’s Hospice in April 21.

In the first, the coverage of the recent very successful 'Colour Dash', which raised £26,000, it was explained that this is the thirtieth anniversary of St John’s and in the piece about Cllr Feeney-Johnson and family’s challenging long distance walks in aid of the hospice, it stated it was the fortieth birthday.

In fact, both are right. I was privileged to be a doctor overseeing St John of God Hospital in Silverdale in the 1970s when a hospice/palliative care service was developed there almost 40 years ago.

The 30th anniversary is of the move of the already operational service from Silverdale to the building in Lancaster, although as the generous residents of South Lakeland are aware, after their splendid efforts recently to raise funds for vehicles for the home care service, most of the work done by the hospice is in the community, with only the most complex cases needing the facilities of the specialist inpatient unit.

As a charitable service, St John’s (as with most other similar services in the country) needs to raise two thirds of its running costs (more than £3 million) from the local community, which has risen to this challenge admirably, a gratifying indication of the value placed on the service.

There are many events happening this year to celebrate the anniversary, details of which can be found at: www.sjhospice.org.uk

Dr Mike Warren

Trustee, St John’s Hospice

Heversham