STAFF at digital marketing agency Itineris will be helping the St Elizabeth Hospice raise money through this year’s Orwell Walk – and in more ways than one.

A number of employees at the Ipswich-based firm will be taking part in the walk, on Sunday, June 24, to raise money for the hospice.

And other walkers who have selected the hospice as their chosen charity will also be able make their donations via a new mini website developed by Itineris for the hospice.

A service has been established by Itineris to give charities complete control over their online fundraising campaigns, enabling them to collect 100% of the donations made without paying a monthly fee or a percentage of each donation.

It also allows individuals and groups to set up personalised web pages for their own fundraising challenges and share the information with friends and family around the world.

St Elizabeth Hospice, which provides services free of charge in Suffolk and Norfolk, relies on fundraising and donations to meet the majority of its �8.7million annual running costs.

Rachael Brown from the hospice said: “St Elizabeth Hospice Giving is a new initiative and allows supporters to raise funds for us online in a simple and effective way.

“Unlike some other fundraising websites, there are no commission fees, so more of the sponsorship and donation money will come directly to the hospice. On St Elizabeth Hospice Giving, supporters can post updates on their progress, upload images and see a running total of how much money they have raised.”

Mark Chalklen, lead developer at Itineris, said: “This new website is a great opportunity for supporters of the hospice to maximise their fundraising efforts.

“The site can be used time and time again for a variety of fundraising challenges. Fundraisers can easily promote their pages and build a community fundraising spirit, with the added incentive that all funds raised go directly to the charity.

“Itineris is proud to support St Elizabeth Hospice through the development of this project and we’ll be getting our walking boots on for the charity at this year’s Orwell Walk.”

The Orwell Walk, which follows a route along the banks of the River Orwell between Ipswich and Felixstowe, has been organised annually since 1977 by the Rotary Club of Ipswich East and last year raised more than �60,000 for good causes, most of them locally-based.

For details of the 2012 Orwell Walk, visit www.ipswicheastrotaryclub.co.uk/the-orwell-walk.html

The St Elizabeth Hospice fundraising microsite created by itineris can be found at www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/giving