Less than £3 would be needed from everyone in Oxfordshire to help complete the state-of the-art Oxford Children's Hospital.

The £20m hospital, being built at the John Radcliffe site in Headington, is due to open its doors in December 2006, bringing the city's paediatric services together in one building.

The community is being asked to provide £2.5m, of which £750,000 has already been raised. Therefore, by digging into their pockets to donate just £2.88, each of Oxfordshire's 607,500 residents could do their bit to find the final £1.75m.

Charitable trusts and corporate donors are being asked to find £12.5m of the funding -- most of which has been raised -- while the NHS has provided £5m.

Dr Anne Thomson, consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine at the JR, said: "I can hardly think of a more worthwhile cause than a children's hospital for such a small amount of money from everyone in the county.

"It's an incredible thought to think that if the people of Oxfordshire gave £2.88 each -- less than the price of three litres of petrol, a cappuccino and a croissant, or even two Sunday newspapers -- the community appeal would be achieved overnight."

Many people have already worked hard to do their bit for the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign.

Joggers have run more than 4,000km in marathons and fun runs, cyclists have pedalled more than 400km, and climbers have scaled more than 5,000m up mountains across the UK and abroad.

Pounds have been lost in diets, lengths have been swum, and fairways have been trodden in golf tournaments in a bid to boost the campaign to provide a new home for children's services currently based at the JR, the Churchill and the Radcliffe Infirmary.

To contact the campaign's fundraising office, call 01865 222807.