A hospice charity's 40th anniversary has been celebrated by over 500 people at Worcester Cathedral.

St Richard’s Hospice marked the milestone with a service of thanksgiving on Wednesday, May 1, four decades to the day since its launch.

The hospice's story was told through the heartfelt recollections of several volunteers and staff members who attended the service.

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Leading the ceremony were The Reverend Canon John Paul Hoskins, Canon Precentor of Worcester Cathedral, and St Richard’s Hospice's lead chaplain, The Reverend Canon Clare Griffiths.

Choirs from RGS Worcester, King's Hawford and the Jenny Lind Singers performed with organ accompaniment from John Wilderspin.

Jenny Cowpe, chair of Trustees at St Richard’s, said: "It was wonderful to see so many people come to help us celebrate a significant milestone in our history and the sound of 100 children singing Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven was truly uplifting and left hardly a dry eye in the house."

The hospice began in 1984 in the home of Dr Jenny Bulman from Droitwich, with the vision of providing a hospice in south Worcestershire.

Since its beginning, more than 73,000 referrals for people to access the hospice's services have been received.

Its services are available to patients, their loved ones, carers and bereaved people, providing support to over 3,100 patients across Worcestershire each year.

The hospice now has 256 dedicated staff members and 790 volunteers.

Its operation will cost around £12 million this year, covering patient care and all necessary support services.

St Richard’s relies mostly on voluntary support, including donations, gifts in wills, retail and events for the majority of its funding, with the NHS contributing the remainder.

To learn more about the hospice's rich history and its work, visit www.strichards.org.uk/about/our-history.