With less than a week to go until the Pigs Gone Wild auction, we still need another £1,700 to save Dr Trott and Nurse Honey Cured.

Since we launched the Hog for our Hospice campaign a fortnight ago, our generous readers have pledged £3,300 to help us secure the medical-themed pig for St Elizabeth Hospice - the forward-thinking charity which hosted the trail in Ipswich this summer.

Work mates are being encouraged to organise bake sales or do staff room collections in a bid to help us reach our £5,000 target.

The pig would then be able to stand in the reception at the Foxhall Road Hospice for years to come, a reminder of what the trail did for Ipswich.

The benefits of the trail have been far reaching. Families have spent the summer walking or cycling around Ipswich, getting fit and discovering parts of the town they never knew existed, while visitors have travelled from far and wide to take part, often staying in Ipswich, eating out and shopping here and bolstering the local economy.

But now it is the hospice’s chance to reap the benefits with the pigs being auctioned off on Thursday evening during a special event at Trinity Park.

The aim is to raise £100,000 for the hospice with Ipswich Blue, Ed Sheerham and Hedgepig all expected to be big sellers on the night.

If our Hog for our Hospice appeal is successful and reaches the £5,000 target, Dr Trott will be spared from going to market. The money donated by hospice supporters, readers and piggy trail fans, will kick start the hospice’s fundraising and help them reach their £100,000 goal.

Today we are making a clarion call to businesses, families and individuals to donate whatever you can - we have seen donations ranging from £5 to £500.

Donate online here or send a cheque, made payable to St Elizabeth Hospice, to Natalie Sadler, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1AN.