Dame Judi Dench paints watercolour to aid hospice

The award-winning actress is raising money for a hospice that helps people in Sussex and Surrey

A watercolour painted by Dame Judi Dench has helped raise funds for a local hospice that is struggling financially.

The Oscar-winning actress' painting of a Scottish landscape - titled Early Sunset Wester Ross - was used to create £150 hand-signed prints.

The artworks are being sold in aid of the St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley, which provides end-of-life care in Sussex and Surrey.

"I am thrilled," said Dame Judi. "All the money raised from these limited-edition prints will help provide care for local people."

The hospice recently announced it needed to save £1.5 million and may have to cut jobs in order to secure its future due to a funding shortfall.

Dame Judi is a long-term resident of Outwood in Surrey, which sits in the hospice's catchment area.

The centre cares for around 2,500 people living with a terminal or life-limiting illness every year.

It costs around £12.4 million a year to run the facility, of which less than a third comes from the NHS.

The rest is raised through the support and donations of the local community.