TWO hospice support groups have raised almost £3,000 for specialist cancer care in the region.

The Stokesley Support Group collected £2,535.65 by holding an open garden weekend, while the Linthorpe Support Group raised £447.35 through a summer fair at Linthorpe Community Centre.

All the money will be donated to Teesside Hospice, which has provided Macmillan home care, day care, in-patient care and counselling services to thousands of people for the past 18 years.

A hospice spokeswoman said: "Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped at or attended these events.

"It costs £2,000 every day of the year to provide these services and our charity shops raise more than £200,000 a year towards caring for local people."