"NO matter how much we do, it will never come close to what the hospice has done for us."

Those are the words of Vince and Carole Reilly after moving to the town and discovering St Rocco's Hospice three years ago.

Speaking as the charity marks 30 years, the Lymm couple said it has been 'life-changing' visiting the Bewsey hospice once a week after Carole was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer of the abdomen in June 2009.

The 57-year-old said: "When I was diagnosed it was like being in a dinghy in the Atlantic.

"We didn't know which way to turn or what to ask never mind who to ask.

"As good as the NHS is, nothing was joined up and it was very fractious whereas the hospice is like an umbrella with everything here.

"It's a special place and there's always about 15 hugs when we arrive and leave."

Carole, who used to run her own private children's day nursery Best Friends in Mosley Common, first noticed something was wrong after getting a very swollen stomach.

Her rare condition now means she has to have fluid drained from around her abdomen regularly at the hospice which helps her to breathe easier.

She added: "It was a big shock and it's something that's on your mind all the time which is why somewhere like St Rocco's helps as you get positivity and honesty.

"We come in and have a chat and a laugh or a therapy and it makes life so much easier."

The couple have been so grateful for the care and support they have received they have made regular cash donations to the hospice as well as donating art work they have collected over the years to be raffled or auctioned.

Husband Vince added: "They are like an extended family and compared to what they do, we haven't done much at all.

"The volunteers here raise thousands on a monthly basis and work tirelessly and so in that respect what we do is insignificant.

"I don't think people really realise how important it is to leave a legacy to the hospice as they need an enormous amount of money each year."