LANDSCAPE artists across town and beyond answered Prospect Hospice’s fundraising call with a £1,000 donation once again this year.

Swindon Artists Forum, which has supported the Wroughton charity ever since its inception in 1996, presented the hospice with the sum at the Brunel Plaza on Saturday.

For the past 18 years the group has donated part of the proceeds from its sales, as well as through collections to the charity, to help provide end-of-life care for thousands of patients.

“It’s something we do every year and over the years we have raised over £14,000 for Prospect,” said chairman Andy Hubble.

“The population of Swindon is growing and cancers are being diagnosed more frequently so Prospect needs more help.

“During these economic times not as many pictures are being sold but we try to raise a minimum of £1,000.”

Accepting the contribution, Prospect fundraiser Gifty Tawiah said: “We have had a long-standing partnership with Swindon Arts Forum and it’s nice when an organisation supports us year after year. It makes a great difference to what we do.

“Last year it cost £5.8m to run the service and less than 30 per cent of our funding came from statutory funding.

“We really rely on sponsors and the local community to raise money for us.

“It’s about expanding patient care.”