This Christmas, there are lots of great ways to support the Grove House Appeal and help Rennie Grove Hospice Care to reach its target so that it can transform Grove House.

The charity wants to turn the much-loved building into a thriving community hub for those living with a life-limiting illness. The redevelopment will mean trebling the internal space which will enable Rennie Grove to expand its range of services for patients, families, and carers. In addition it will create facilities for children and young adults, and improve accessibility by opening in the evening and at weekends.

Director of fundraising Tracey Hancock explains: "We have raised almost half of the £1 million we need, but there is still a very long way to go until we reach our target. We are asking local residents and businesses to do something special this Christmas by supporting the appeal and helping us achieve our vision at Grove House.

"The simplest way to do that is to buy a virtual brick, perhaps in lieu of a Christmas or Secret Santa present for those people who may be difficult to buy for. £10 will buy a virtual brick; £50 will buy a block and £100 will buy a whole row.

"Our Appeal Board is made up of local people who have been long term supporters of Rennie Grove, and they are helping us raise the profile of the appeal."

Lawrence Levy, who lives in St Albans, said: "I have been a supporter of Grove House, and then Rennie Grove, for a number of years, initially through my company Levy Associates, creating and growing the Herts 10K event which has raised over £1m in the past 14 years.

"Having known people who have used the services at Grove House and had the support of Rennie Grove's Hospice at Home team, and seen friends receive hospice care in other parts of the country, I feel really strongly that we must make sure that these services will always be there for those who need them, at often such difficult times."

Recently, generous residents who had both read about the appeal in this column, donated valuable gold and jewellery to Rennie Grove asking the charity to sell them and give the proceeds to the appeal. Could you do that or something similar? Please help Rennie Grove to reach its £1 million target. Visit renniegrove.org/GHAppeal for full details.