Sobell House Hospice, based in the grounds of the Churchill Hospital, provides palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses in Oxfordshire.

The hospice receives partial funding from the NHS, but relies very much on the help of the local community to raise additional funds to provide essential services for patients and support for their families.

Sobell House needs to raise around £1m a year and the Oxford Moonlight Stroll is a major event in its fundraising calendar.

The second Oxford Moonlight Stroll takes place on Saturday, July 5 and the nine-mile walk needs lots of volunteers to make the event a success. They hope to have more than 1,000 walkers and raise £100,000.

"We're looking for volunteers who are prepared to spend the night and help by either marshalling on the route, or at our headquarters at St Edwards School on Woodstock Road to help us register the walkers," said Kath Morris, Head of Fundraising for Sobell House.

Registration starts at 8.30pm, so volunteers would be needed from 8pm. The walk begins at 10.30pm and volunteers are also needed from 1am to check walkers on their return.

Last year, some of the volunteers said they didn't want to stay all night. "But we had such fun that we all stayed til the end," said one.

The marshals will work in pairs at points on the route, which starts at St Edward's School, Woodstock Road, before proceeding into the city centre through Jericho and across Christ Church Meadow. Marshals will be supplied with a marshalling jacket and refreshments.

"We would also be very pleased to see all marshals at the headquarters in St Edward's School at the end of the event," Kath added. "RAF Benson will be winging in to help feed the hungry walkers with bacon butties or veggie burgers and cups of tea."

If you would like to help at the Oxford Moonlight Stroll, contact the charity office on 01865 857007 or email Lindsay@sobellhospice.org or visit the www.oxfordmoonlightstroll.org website.

Sobell House is also having a fundraising wine tasting from 2-5pm tomorrow at Oddbins, Little Clarendon Street, Oxford. For more information, call Madeline Isaacs at Oddbins on 01865 558838.