THE kettle is on and tea bags are at the ready as Marie Curie staff in Bradford prepare to stage their third Blooming Great Tea Party.

The Maudsley Street hospice will be brewing up for the fundraising event on Tuesday June 21 and nursing staff will be on hand between 12pm and 3pm to serve tea and cakes.

The event will include a tombola and a raffle and will be officially opened at noon by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Geoff Reid. He will be accompanied by his wife, Chris Reid, as Lady Mayoress.

Sharon Link, Marie Curie community fundraiser said: “We hope that members of the local community will join us at our event and help support Marie Curie. We’ve got lots of exciting things planned for our Blooming Great Tea Party and all the money raised will mean that Marie Curie can continue to provide expert care, guidance and support to help people living with a terminal illness get the most from the time they have left.”

Marie Curie nurse Sally Knott added: “Please come along and support the Blooming Great Tea party. Getting together with family and friends to hold a Blooming Great Tea Party is a fun and easy way to support Marie Curie nurses who take care for people in the Bradford district. Every £20 raised on the day will cover an hour's nursing care for one of our patients.”

The Bradford hospice tea party will join others taking place across the country during June and July which have raised £4.5 million since the campaign started in 2008.

Anyone interested in holding their own tea party can get more information from www.mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty.