A BIG-HEARTED Stourbridge woman will be asking for charity donations instead of gifts to mark her milestone birthday and she hopes to inspire others to follow suit to help give Mary Stevens Hospice a boost in 2013.

Gloria Morris, from Amblecote, is gearing up to celebrate her 70th birthday in June but instead of presents she wants family and friends to make a donation to the Oldswinford hospice.

The former co-owner of Stourbridge fashion shop Sackcloth and Ashes also hopes her generosity will encourage others born in 1943 to swap birthday gifts for charity donations to the hospice - which needs to raise £2.2m each year to meet running costs.

Gloria, who grew up in Kingswinford, said: “I hope to turn my birthday celebrations into quite an event and would love anyone reaching 70 years of age in 2013 to join in and ask family and friends to replace that gift with a donation, however, large or small, to Mary Stevens Hospice.

“I feel my life has been so much richer for meeting so many lovely people from Kingswinford, Stourbridge and Amblecote so I’d like now to give something back and support our local hospice which does so much good work to serve the community in this area.”

Gloria, a lifelong Mick Jagger fan, is also hoping her hero - who is also soon to become a septuagenarian - might get to hear about her 70th birthday charity antics and opt to join in.

Anyone interested in making a donation or raising funds for the hospice in their 70th year can contact the fundraising office on 01384 377778 or email info@mshfundraising.co.uk