UNWANTED car? horse box? or even a boat? Your scrap could raise cash for a Dorset hospice.

Weldmar Hospicecare Trust have been running a scheme to recycle unwanted vehicles to raise money for the charity.

Over the last 18 months they have so far raised almost £25,000, thanks to the support of Dorset residents and they are looking for more people to get involved with donations of scrappable items.

Jon Panton, Weldmar's Business Fundraising Manager, manages the scheme, and has a background in the motor industry.

He has put his skills to good use arranging the sale of unwanted cars, lorries, boats, horseboxes, motorcycles - in fact any unwanted vehicle that owners would like scrapped- as well as many large items that have a scrap value, or could be resold, to raise money to assist towards supporting our patients.

Mr Panton says he aims to make the process as easy as possible. He visits the donor to take a description and photograph the vehicle, then arranges for collection and deals with any paperwork.

Recently a generous supporter, who wished to remain anonymous, found she could no longer drive and gave Weldmar her car - a Citroen C3 diesel with low mileage.

Mr Panton arranged for it to be sold on a local garage forecourt, which raised £2,550 for Weldmar.

He said “All items are considered and I make the gift as easy a process for the donor as possible.

“We have been offered not just scrap cars but a horsebox lorry, a jet ski, and roadworthy cars that were no longer wanted by their owners.”

Weldmar Hospicecare Trust cares for patients in north, south and west Dorset with cancer and other progressive conditions, such as motor neurone disease, who require specialist help. Patients are given help and advice in the comfort of their own homes, in the day hospices or the inpatient unit at Joseph Weld Hospice.

All services are provided free of charge.

The NHS provides Weldmar with 32 percent of the costs needed to run their services. This means that Weldmar have to raise £10,000 per day to fund their free of charge services through fundraising and our chain of nineteen charity shops and three outlets.

To donate any unwanted items call Mr Panton on 01305 261800 or 07799 447089 or email him at jonathan.panton@weld-hospice.org.uk.