Everyone loves a tea party - cucumber sandwiches, cakes and a lovely cuppa. So why not join Britain's biggest tea party and help raise funds for your local hospice

Britain's biggest tea party, Tea at 3, returns on Friday 18th June at 3pm. This year, thanks to the sponsorship of Tetley tea, there will be even more of us supping for charity. It's all in aid of raising vital funds for local hospices across the UK for the forthcoming year.

Why not join the nation in the best drink of the day? You can take part in various ways:

• Participate in your local hospice event
• Hold your own fundraising tea party
• Donate at your tea break at work
• Enter the competition to win a year's supply of Tetley tea for the most unusual tea party

Last year thousands of tea parties took place across the UK in lots of different locations such as on lifeboats, up ladders, in trees and even on a tractor. Thousands of local groups took part and Help the Hospices is hoping to have even more people taking part in Tea at 3 in 2004.

Jane Asher is supporting the event with her own Tea at 3 cake recipe made with Tetley tea. Teatime treats including Marmite and a special Fox's Tea at 3 biscuit. Soreen and Canderel are also supporting Tea at 3 by making a donation for items sold through Tesco stores and Tesco.com.

Tea at 3 forms part of the Hospice Care Campaign, which takes place throughout June to raise awareness and funds for hospices across the UK.

For further information and a fundraising pack, visit www.teaat3.org.uk or call the Tea at 3 hotline on 0845 087 3333.

Facts about hospice care

• Help the Hospices is the national charity that works on behalf of the hospice movement. It aims to provide grants, funding, training, information, support and advocacy for hospices to help them in vital work caring for terminally-ill patients and their loved ones.
• Last year over half a million children and adults with life-threatening illnesses were cared for by over 220 local hospices. Hospice care is free of charge. Each year the UK's local charitable hospices need to raise over £300 million, making hospices the largest fundraising cause in the UK.