A SUMMER garden party and dog show at a Black Country nursing home was able to raise £1,000 for Stourbridge’s Mary Stevens Hospice.

Yew Tree Nursing Home encouraged visitors to bring along their canine companions to take part in a wide range of fundraising activities, including games, stalls, retail and refreshments, before the event culminated in the multi-category dog show.

The event itself raised £921 for the Hagley Road-based charity, however when the staff at the Halesowen care home told the residents how close they had come to raising £1,000, they took it upon themselves to rally around to collect the extra £79 needed to round up their total.

Amanda Bowen, community engagement officer at Mary Stevens Hospice, said: “We're so grateful to everyone that attended, to everyone at the care home and, of course, to all of our furry friends who made it such a wonderful day.

“It’s such a lovely story to hear that the residents pitched in to help round it up to £1,000 and things like that really do just make you so proud of your community.

“The money will make such a difference to the families here.”

Vicky Mills, business manager at the nursing home, said: “It was a really fantastic day and we were delighted to see so many people come along and support the home, the event and the hospice.

“Everyone had a great day, and we were delighted when we told the residents that we'd been able to raise £921 for a cause they were so passionate about.

“When they showed such incredible generosity in rounding it up to £1000, it really was just the icing on the cake. This is a wonderful place, made special by the fantastic people that live here.”