Two sister titles in Lancashire have joined forces to launch their most ambitious campaign to date in a bid to save a local hospice from closure.

The Lancaster Guardian and The Morecambe Visitor unveiled their Save Our Hospice appeal by urging readers to Do it for their Daddy and help them raise half a million pounds over the next 12 months to preserve the future of St John’s Hospice.

Providing in-house and at home services for those with life-limiting illnesses and their families, the Lancaster-based charity is facing a £500,000 shortfall in funding.

Led by Lancaster and Morecambe Newspapers reporter Adam Lord, whose own dad was treated at St John’s, the campaign is not just raising money but pushing for local businesses to house clothes donation stations, and urging the local community to make a will and leave a legacy.

Lancaster Guardian and The Morecambe Visitor want to raise £500,000 in 12 months

Nicola Adam, editor of the Johnston Press-owned papers, told HTFP: “This is a personal and professional quest for many of the editorial team who are horrified at the very real threat to the hospice.

“The reality is that there are very few people in Lancaster and Morecambe whose lives have not been touched by the amazing work of hospice staff and their armies of volunteers.

“Over the next year, both in paper, online and through stories, video and photographs, we want to create a living history of St John’s by telling the human stories and the hard facts.

“The hospice was built by the people for the people – and the people need to save it for future generations.”

The Lancaster Guardian began campaigning on Thursday with a touching front page story about two young sisters whose father died of cancer.

Thanks to the hospice, his memory lives on through the videos he filmed of himself reading bedtime stories to his daughters Millicent and Polly-Jean.

Save Our Hospice was officially launched with a bang on Saturday at the Lancaster Castle fireworks display with local celebrities, including TV antiques expert Paul Hayes, on hand to support it.

Editorial staff handed out leaflets sharing campaign information, including encouraging people to sign up for the first of many events in the year ahead – a festive cake bake.

“The hospice was built by the people for the people – and the people need to save it for future generations,” added Nicola.