HUNDREDS of coloured ribbons dedicated to loved ones will be on display at St Leonard's Hospice in York throughout June and July.

The hospice, in Tadcaster Road, is inviting people to dedicate a ribbon in their annual 'Rainbow of Ribbons', and this week the resulting displays have gone up in Easingwold, Selby Abbey and at the hospice itself.

It is designed to be a bright and positive way of celebrating special people in our life and the display will bring colour and brightness to visitors during the summer months.

In addition, the display is a way of raising funds to continue the vital care provided by the hospice.

Judy Wilson, fundraiser at the hospice, said: "This is a lovely way to celebrate loved ones who have added colour to your life, or to commemorate a special occasion.

"You could choose a favourite colour or something more symbolic, yellow to remember someone's sunny smile, red to remember a loved one or white to celebrate a wedding or anniversary. We will be adding to the displays throughout the summer so it isn’t too late to dedicate a ribbon yourself if you wish to."

Colours available are red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange, blue and white.

If you would like to dedicate a ribbon, visit www.stleonardshospice.org.uk or phone Judy Wilson on 01904 777 777.

St Leonard’s provides specialist palliative care and support for local people with life limiting illnesses. Care is free of charge to patients and their families but not free to provide and as a charity they rely heavily on the generosity of the public to help raise just over £5 million it costs each year to run the York hospice.

Although St Leonard’s does get some public funding the majority of the running costs have to be raised from donations and fundraising by the local community - businesses, groups and individuals. To find out how you can help go to http://www.stleonardshospice.org.uk