A charity has said that it will give a commemorative medal to anyone individual or community organisation which raises £300 or more towards its bid to build a new hospice in its 30th anniversary year.

2014 will be a big year for the Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House as it prepares to move from its outdated Snettisham premises and open a long-awaited new £3.5m facility near to the A148 at Hillington.

The new inpatient building, which will provide West Norfolk and the Fens with about seven palliative care beds, will help to reduce a huge shortage for end-of-life care in the area.

However Richard Shaw, chief executive of the hospice, said money is needed to do it.

'Although the majority of the initial costs for the new facility at Hillington are already in place, the running costs at the outset will be £2.7 million per annum - only 12pc of which comes from the NHS,' Mr Shaw said.

'We shall therefore remain highly dependent upon our community and individual supporters for income.

'I believe the 30th Anniversary Community Fundraising Award will recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution that these supporters make to this charity.'

As well as giving medals to all individual supporters and community organisations which raise £300 or more during 2014, the hospice will also reward businesses which raise £3,000 or more during the year.

All qualifying businesses will be invited to the Awards Ceremony in January 2015. A member of the hospice team will then visit each company to meet the employees who have helped with the fund-raising to present a Corporate Fund-raising Award Plaque.

Mr Shaw added: 'I start the new year with high hopes that corporate business support could make a difference in 2014.

'Research has shown that there are strong links between Corporate Social Responsibility and employee motivation. I hope Norfolk's business community will really get behind our fund-raising programme in this our 30th Anniversary year.

Fund-raising packs are available from www.norfolkhospice.org.uk or by calling 01485 542891.

Are you raising money for charity in West Norfolk? Contact reporter Andrew Papworth on 01553 778681 or andrew.papworth@archant.co.uk