MORE than £5.5m has been donated to Teesside Hospice through its lottery which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The weekly £1 punt to play, funding 1122 days of care, was launched in 1995 by former Middlesbrough Football Club players, Alan Peacock, Wilf Manion and George Hardwick and now has 13,000 members.

Mr Peacock returned this week with other ex squad members Gary Pallister and Gordon Jones to mark the milestone.

Jean Smith, Teesside Hospice Lottery Manager said: “In 1995, Teesside Hospice had just opened its 10 bed inpatient unit and desperately needed a stream of additional income to fund the running costs of Middlesbrough’s first specialist palliative care unit.

“Without the support of the Lotto and its players, Teesside Hospice would not have been able to sustain the level of care provided to local people as we know it today.”

To celebrate the lottery’s 20th anniversary, a draw is being held with the chance to win £3,000, to enter visit www.teessidehospice.org/get-involved/events/20th-birthday-draw and to play the weekly draw email lottery@teessidehospice.co.uk or call 01642-811142.

Maureen Thompson, Teesside Hospice Chief Executive, added: “When our patients first access our care service they are often at their lowest point, in desperate pain or suffering from the severe side effects of their treatment or drugs. Here at Teesside Hospice we give them their quality of life and dignity back.

"This is something that benefits not only the patient but also their family and friends. The reach of the hospice is huge and so too is the support that has been given by our lottery members over the years. It really is only because of them that we have been able to make a difference to so many local people.”