A 'raise the roof' campaign to help fund Windsor's new £22million hospice is attracting star studded support - with special shows planned at its shops across the area.

Actress Sue Holderness of Only Fools and Horses fame - a long term Windsor resident - will attend a launch at the Windsor shop in Peascod Street, Windsor tomorrow (Saturday) at 11.30pm.

Debbie Raven, chief executive at the hospice, said: "Sue Holderness has been a fervent supporter of Thames Hospice for many years and we are absolutely thrilled Sue, together with Mayor Sayonara Luxton, will be joining us in Windsor to celebrate and help spread the word about our appeal to raise the final £3 million we need to complete your new hospice."

The ambitious fundraising campaign is needed to raise £3 million to construct a new state-of-the-art community hospice at Bray Lake to replace the increasingly crowded site at Hatch Lane, Windsor. Construction of the new £22 million hospice site began at the start of the year and will include 28 private inpatient rooms; each with their own bathrooms and space for families to stay overnight.

The 'raise the roof' campaign continues with a day of celebration at the Thames Hospice store in Packhorse Road, Gerrards Cross on Monday - followed by one at the shops in Princess Square, Bracknell, on September 11 to be attended by children’s television star Dani Harmer, one at Peach Street, Wokingham on Saturday, September 14 to be attended by legendary comic and Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor and one at High Street, Maidenhead on the same day to be attended by documentary maker and 'tough guy' actor Ross Kemp

Lisa Parris-Cambridge, a patient currently accessing the services at the hospice, said: “Thames Hospice has been there for me and my girls. They provide the care, counselling and support that make my diagnosis better to deal with. I can’t imagine what life would be like for others in the same situation left without Thames Hospice’s support.”