Hospice services across Ireland are continuing to have their funding cut and are becoming increasingly reliant on the goodwill of members of the public, the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has said.

Next month, the foundation will hold its annual Sunflower Days collection, in an attempt to raise much needed funds for local hospice services.

Some 29,000 people die every year in Ireland and over 6,000 of these use hospice services annually. Hospice (palliative) care involves the care of patients and their families when the focus has switched from aiming to cure an illness to ensuring quality of life.

This year's Sunflower Days will mark the 23rd year the event has taken place. Various pieces of sunflower merchandise, including sunflower seeds and pins, will be on sale on June 14-15 throughout the country. While the event is coordinated by the foundation, all funds raised locally stay in that area.

This year's event is aiming to raise €1 million.

According to Mo Flynn, CEO of Our Lady's Hospice and Care Services, funding cuts mean that services are ‘more and more reliant on the generosity and goodwill of our supporters to continue to deliver our high levels of quality care to our patients and their families'.

"At the same time, the numbers of people seeking hospice care is increasing. We are so grateful to the public for their support which has allowed hospice services to continue to bring comfort and dignity to people at the end of their lives," she explained.

The IHF is also calling for volunteers to help out with next month's event. For more information, click here