It was in Kenya in 1996 that Gwyn Sloan learnt about a seriously-ill woman's nightmare journey to collect morphine to ease her pain.

A trip to the hospice involved travelling from Melindi to Mombasa on a public service vehicle for one and a half hours, catching an overnight train, sitting on a hard wooden bench for 12 hours and walking for a mile to the hospice where she could receive drugs and treatment.

The woman had to make this trip once a month to get the morphine she needed.

"Her plight was reflected thousands of times all over Kenya," said Gwyn. "She was an inspiration, she's still alive and I still hear from her.

"When we went back in 2001 she introduced her sons to me it was one of the most special moments of my life. She's such a courageous woman."

Hospice Care Kenya was set up in 1991 to support existing hospices in Nairobi, Nyeri and Eldoret, and has two new hospices in Mombasa and Meru, which opened in 2001.

The charity aims to expand the hospice movement in Kenya.

"We're helping to provide medicine for pain control and symptom control and we're looking at setting up more day hospices, where patients can come and be made comfortable and see doctors and nurses," said Gwyn.

Training volunteers and outreach workers for the Kenyan community and providing support for patients' families is another essential service the hospices provide.

A Doctors on Rotation programme means doctors come and spend time being trained in palliative care - easing patients pain - and learn skills to take back to their own areas.

"There are similar projects springing up all over Kenya and that is why we need funds," said Gywn.

"Palliative care is a relatively new concept in Kenya, as there is so much disease and poverty there.

"Already the patient loads are increasing every year as more people begin to learn about what hospices do to help."

Kenyan people, who fundraise locally as well as receiving support from the charity, run all the hospices.

"We don't run anything. They make representation to us and we will then support the projects. They get the project together and are totally autonomous.

"All the money we raise goes where it's meant to go," said Gwyn.

The last time Gwyn and her husband Iain visited the hospices was in 2001 and they plan to make another trip to Kenya in 2005.

Iain is director of music at Malvern College and has used his skills to organise several concerts for the charity, both in Kenya and Malvern.

The next concert will be at 7.30pm on Saturday, October 18 at Malvern College Big School and will be twinned with a performance in Nairobi, Kenya.

Featuring a guest appearance from soprano Susan Black and performances from the Hillstone Chamber Choir, Malvern College Chamber Choir, a chorus of singers and Miscellany, a female a capella group, Gwyn hopes that it will be another successful fundraising project.

"I would like to thank anybody who has donated in the past. They just don't know what a difference their money has made to somebody in Kenya.

"Malvern people are incredibly generous," she said.

Gwyn has been fundraising for the hospices in a number of different ways over the years, with concerts, a sew-in by local volunteers to make curtains for the hospice in Nyeri and charity balls in Bristol.

She plans to organise another ball in 2005 and is looking for sponsors to sponsor a course of the dinner.

Born in Tanzania, Gwyn grew up in Kenya, where she lived for 17 years.

"I wanted to give back part of the wonderful childhood I had there," she said. "I felt I had to do something to repay the country."

Anyone who would like a ticket, priced £5, for the concert at Malvern College or would like to make a donation to Hospices Care Kenya should contact Gwyn on 01684 561074.