IN 1976, Prue Dufour set up the Dorothy House foundation to care exclusively for the terminally ill and in 1979 the charity opened its first inpatient unit for six people in Bath.

Fast forward to 2016 and the landscape is remarkably different. Now the hospice provides services to more than 550,000 people over 700 square miles – something she may never have envisaged.

In 2016 alone, world records have tumbled, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised and the Princess Royal opened the hospice’s new exhibition at its Winsley headquarters as part of its 40th birthday celebrations.

From January to December, dozens of fundraising events have taken place, from 1,500 entrants participating in its 5km Bubble Rush event in July to a Santa and Fairy Fun Run in December and a thanksgiving service at Bath Abbey, with a tribute to Mrs Dufour, who died in 2004, given by her brother David Royle.

Amongst the huge turnouts and monumental amounts of money raised for the hospice, going into the record books takes some beating.

In a bid to smash the Guinness World Record, 675 people created a little bit of history by taking part in the Moonlight Walk in September and as a result became record breakers for the largest gathering of people wearing feather boas.

Dorothy House fundraising organiser Emily Knight said: “It was an awesome night. Everyone looked fantastic and the atmosphere was electric. Bath city centre was full of flashing bunny ears and pink feathers.”

In June, once again Princess Anne joined in with a multitude of special guests for the 40th birthday at a garden party attended by patients, families, carers, staff, volunteers, trustees and supporters.

The princess also opened its exhibition, supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Colour Studios from Radstock, which has since toured much of the county and further afield, showcasing four decades of past and present achievements of the hospice.

In summary of 2016, Dorothy House Hospice Care chief executive John Davies, said: “Our 40th birthday year has been, and continues to be, a special occasion. It has been an honour to revisit how the hospice has developed from its beginnings in 1976 and to celebrate the amazing legacy that Prue Dufour gave to this community.

“I have been moved hearing the stories of those touched by the hospice over the years and it has been wonderful to see so many people joining together to show their support for Dorothy House Hospice Care."

Back in March Mr Davies voluntarily imprisoned himself at the Trowbridge Blind House and would not come out until he raised £5000 in under 24 hours, which he did with hours to spare.

“We are the only end of life care provider in the area and our vital work continues 24/7, 365 days a year and we simply could not do it without the generosity and continued support of our 700sq mile community," he said.

“I would like to thank everyone for their loyalty and unwavering support in our 40th year and we look forward to the next 40 years and beyond with excitement and renewed purpose.”