ST Clare Hospice is calling on the community to help it win a £50,000 grant to transform an unloved part of its garden into a tranquil oasis for patients and their families to spend time together.

The Hastingwood-based charity is thrilled to announce it is a finalist in the People’s Millions and is rallying its supporters to help secure the vital funding it needs for its exciting ‘Space to Breathe – A Family Garden’ project when it appears on the ITV competition on Wednesday, November 27.

On the day, the Hospice will be up against another Essex-based charity with the public deciding which community initiative will receive its funding so it is appealing for everyone to get behind the Space to Breathe scheme and vote to enable St Clare to bring this much-needed project to fruition.

St Clare chief executive Tanya Curry said: “The Space to Breathe project has been on the Hospice wish-list for a long time but it just would not be possible without this type of funding.

“We know that gardens can have many therapeutic benefits as well as being physically and emotionally restorative.

“Our patients already have access to our beautiful grounds as every one of our eight Inpatient rooms has its own private veranda, but we would really love to be able provide this very special haven for our patients and their loved ones to spend quality time together and make memories that they will always cherish.”

If successful in winning the £50,000 grant, St Clare will use the money to transform a currently unkempt and overshadowed area adjacent to the Inpatient Unit into a calming space that maximises the healing power of nature.

It will feature raised beds and year-round planting that will enhance its natural beauty, while a water feature will provide a calming focus and soothing sounds. It will be wheelchair-friendly and staff will also be able to wheel patients out into the fresh air in their beds.

An ITV production crew will be visiting the Hospice in the coming week to record a 90-second appeal film that will be aired during the People’s Millions on November 27.

The phone number for people to vote for St Clare will not be released until the day, with phone lines open from 9am until midnight. The number will be published on the People’s Millions website and in the Daily Mirror newspaper, while the Hospice team will be out and about across its catchment area canvassing for votes on the day.

Elizabeth Palfreman, the Hospice’s director of fundraising and marketing, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the Hospice to secure a significant amount of money that will greatly benefit our patients and their relatives and friends and we desperately need your help to make it happen.

“We get tremendous support from our local community and we really hope that everyone will rally to help us to turn our vision for this garden into a reality.

“Calls cost 10p so even if you voted for St Clare 10 times it would only cost you £1 – but that £1 could be worth £50,000 to the Hospice. So please pick up the phone for us on November 27 – every vote counts!”