Staff and supporters of Mary Stevens Hospice have begun the mammoth task to alleviate pressure on their day services unit which is full to capacity every day.

Bosses are hoping to break ground on the biggest project ever undertaken by the charity in their 25 year existence. A spokesperson said:

"Demand for The Bradbury Day Unit has almost doubled, from 2,282 in 2005 to 4,244 in 2015 and many patients now also have highly complex needs.

"We know that there are even more people out there who would benefit from our help, with ever-more complicated conditions. It is this demand which has prompted our decision to launch this capital appeal.

"If we are able to raise the money, we will be able to increase the capacity of the Day Unit by 87% and open 7-days a week, which will allow more families and loved ones to benefit from our care when they need it most.".

As well as expansion of the unit, the team are also planning to build new and improved family accommodation, which will allow loved ones and family members to stay at the Hospice offering an element of normality in circumstances which can often be anything but.

They also plan to build much improved child bereavement facilities and services. These will include better counselling, consulting and complimentary therapy rooms as well as the provision of improved learning, education and research facilities to provide specialist training in palliative and end-of-life care.

Supporters are invited to get involved by attending, or organising their own, fundraising events or through numerous opportunities to sponsor sections of the build, or elements of the new unit. If you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alex Winstanley on alex@mshfundraising.co.uk.

Any tradespeople who would like to make a donation of time, skills or expertise would be gratefully received. If you would like to get involved in the project in any way then give Alex a call on 01384 377 778. 

Anybody wanting to donate online can do so by clicking here.