The glorious sunshine attracted over 2,000 people to St Giles Hospice Lottery’s Big Birthday Bash this weekend.

Crowds of people came to support the summer fete-style event at Catton Hall, near Burton upon Trent, held by the hospice to mark the 10th anniversary of its popular lottery on Saturday 2nd June.

Visitors were mystified by a magician while children thoroughly enjoyed bringing along their favourite toys to take part in the teddy bears’ picnic.

Teams from the local area took part in a strenuous tug-of-war held in the glorious formal gardens.

Children and adults alike browsed the stalls selling everything from cakes and crafts to bric-a-brac and books - knowing that proceeds from the event would be going straight to help local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses

Linda Bridges, St Giles Hospice Promotions Development Co-ordinator, said: “The Big Birthday Bash turned out to be a truly fantastic day; everyone enjoyed watching the shows and taking part in the activities – especially cheering on the tug-of-war teams!

“Thank you to everyone who came along to support us on the day and to those who donated their time to help make it such a fun-filled event.

“We are all looking forward to another 10 successful years of the lottery and we know we can count on the public’s support to help us achieve this.”

The weekly hospice lottery draw attracts players from across the region, and through their support it has raised more than £7m for St Giles over the past decade, with every penny going towards caring for local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Over the past four years the lottery has brought in more than £1m a year through ticket sales, funding the charity’s care for one in five patients.

In addition to the Big Birthday Bash, a special 10th anniversary lottery draw is being held on Friday 13th July, with a Vauxhall Corsa car as the star prize.

Taking part costs £1 per week, and further information on joining is available by calling 0845 370 6580 or visiting www.stgileshospice.com/lottery.

St Giles Hospice is a registered charity offering high-quality medical and nursing care for people with cancer and other serious illnesses, as well as providing support for their families and carers.

Patients come from across the hospice’s catchment area, which ranges from Ashby de la Zouch and Atherstone in the east, to Cannock and Walsall in the west – and from Burton and Uttoxeter in the north, to Sutton Coldfield and Coleshill in the south.

Care is offered at the hospice's facilities in Sutton Coldfield and Whittington, between Lichfield and Tamworth, or in patients' own homes across the region.

St Giles spends over £5million every year providing its specialist services. With just a third of this funded by the Government, the registered charity relies heavily on donations and fundraising.