We are half way there – in more ways than one. The completion of Phase One of our ambitious refurbishment programme coincided with the Gazette reaching their half-way point too, topping £100,000 in the Hospice Heroes appeal.

Readers have been helping us raise the extra money we need to fund the improvement and modernisation work on our adult in-patient unit and at Brian House.

The first re-designed en-suite patient rooms have now been unveiled, along with brighter corridors, more spacious seating areas and a complete redesign and refit of the lounge, kitchen and therapy room in Brian House. All the original window frames have been replaced and new and uplifting colour schemes introduced.

The kitchen in Brian House now has an amazing new ‘sweet shop’ colour scheme and even a ‘mini kitchen’ for our youngsters. The lounge has a massive under the sea mural and the old conservatory has made way for a wonderful therapy room with computers and plenty of space to play.

It is a massive project designed to enhance patient comfort, privacy and dignity and the work has been split into two phases so that we can still provide compassionate care to all who need it as the project progresses.

The Gazette’s Hospice Heroes appeal aims to raise a total of £200,000, which will be combined with our grant from the Department of Health to help pay for the biggest programme of work since we opened in 1985.

On reaching the £100,000 mark, our Fundraising Manager Linzi Young told Gazette readers: “Half way to our target – it’s such a good feeling, and we still have lots of big events lined up to get us to the magic total.

“On behalf of everyone at Trinity I want to thank each and every person who has contributed so far. I can honestly say that every pound has made an impact, and the feeling that the local community is behind us means so much.

“When we launched Hospice Heroes it felt as though we had a mountain to climb, but having the support of Gazette readers, local businesses, clubs, youth groups and schools has made all the difference.

“The work is progressing to plan, with Phase One of our refurbishment complete and we are really focused now on the second half of the campaign, to make our hospice the very best it can be.”

Several fundraising events coming up to boost the appeal include the Trinity Tea Parties being held throughout April, and the Rod Stewart concert at Bloomfield Road in June which, thanks to the generosity of promoters Cuffe and Taylor, is set to bring in thousands.

Thanks for being a Hospice Hero!