Customers at St Peter's Hospice charity shops could help to raise an extra £250,000 this year – at no extra cost.

The charity has launched a Gift Aid scheme and hopes to raise an extra 28p on every £1 spent at its 44 shops in the Bristol area.

The extra money from each donation will help the charity provide free specialised care at its two hospices in Brentry and Knowle.

Andrew Hufford, the charity's commercial director, said the scheme would mean a donated item sold for £5 would raise an additional £1.40 in reclaimed tax.

People who donate items and who are taxpayers will be asked to sign a Gift Aid declaration form.

Mr Hufford said: "Our shops have been trialling the Gift Aid scheme for the past two weeks and I'm pleased to report that already more than 2,000 people have signed up, but we need the people of Bristol to get behind this.

"It costs £5.3 million every year to provide specialist palliative care and there will be people all over Bristol who will know someone who may have been cared for by St Peter's Hospice.

"By signing up to the Gift Aid scheme in our shops, they could help us raise much-needed funds to go directly towards patient care."

Julie Lloyd, 42, from Kingswood, has been a volunteer in her local shop in Lodge Causeway for the past five years and can't wait to help raise extra funds for the charity, which cared for her father, David, five years ago.

Mr Lloyd was diagnosed with kidney cancer at the age of 64 and died six months later. Julie said he received care from St Peter's Hospice nurses, who also supported the family during his final six months and after his death.

She said: "Without St Peter's Hospice the whole thing would have been even more painful for my dad and the rest of the family.

"Signing up to be a Gift Aid donor is such a small thing and won't cost a penny but it means I can help to raise even more money for the hospice and ensure other local people can get the sort of care my dad had."

£5 donated to St Peter's Hospice will sponsor an inpatient's meals for a whole day.

£10 will pay mileage for one day of community visits by one hospice nurse.

£50 will pay mileage for one week of community visits by a nurse.

£200 will pay mileage for a whole month of community visits by a hospice nurse specialist.

£120 will sponsor a healthcare assistant to work a night shift.

£198 will sponsor a trained nurse shift to work a Hospice at Home night shift.

£505 sponsors a bed for 24 hours and input from all of the multidisciplinary team plus medicines, laundry and other costs.