The new Lord Mayor of London has chosen Princess Alice Hospice as one of her charities of the year.

Fiona Woolf is the 686th Lord Mayor of the City of London and is only the second woman in history to take up the post.

Mrs Woolf, whose husband recently stepped down as the chairman on the hospice’s board of trustees, will support Princess Alice Hospice throughout 2014.

She said: “I have chosen charities that already punch above their weight.

“Princess Alice Hospice may only have 28 beds, but at any one time they are transforming the lives of more than 800 patients and their families, completely free of charge, in their own homes, which is absolutely where they want to be at end of life.”

Nicki Shaw, chief executive of the hospice, said she was delighted about Mrs Woolf’s appointment.

Alongside the Lord Mayor’s appeal, the hospice took part in the Lord Mayor’s Show on November 9.

The theme for the show was care at home and focused on the hospice’s campaign to let more patients have care and support in their own homes.