A WEEK-LONG fundraising campaign for the Demelza House children’s hospice at Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, is being launched with a lunch at Shepherd Neame’s Faversham brewery on September 18.

Among the guests will be the hospice’s patron, Countess Mountbatten, and some of the most distinguished figures on the county’s social and business scene.

The Dine for Demelza campaign runs from Saturday, September 21, for a week, when restaurants and pubs across the county - including several Shepherd Neame houses - will be offering special menus which include a donation to the hospice.

Demelza House provides hospice care for children throughout the south east whose medical condition means they are unlikely to reach adult life. The care and facilities provided have been widely praised but it costs £1.5 million a year to keep the hospice open.

The children’s hospice is one of nine hospices supported by the annual Kent Charity Walk organised by Shepherd Neame and the Kent Messenger Group.

For further information about Shepherd Neame pubs and other restaurants taking part in Dine for Demelza, log onto www.demelzahouse.org