The dream of a new half million pound Family Support and Complementary Therapies Centre for Butterwick Hospice in Stockton is materialising.
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Builders have almost completed the construction of a state of the art family support and complementary therapies centre near the Butterwick’s adult and children’s hospices, which are next to North Tees Hospital.
Raising the capital for the new 5,000 square foot centre has taken five years, but Butterwick Chief Executive, Graham Leggatt-Chidgey, said he was ‘delighted’ that the building was now really taking shape.
‘The capital appeal started in 2008, and our Capital Appeal Manager, Sue McCabe, and the team have worked hard to realise this dream.
‘It is fantastic to see our dream becoming a reality. It is the culmination of many years of sourcing help from many different foundations, trusts, funds and other organisations and individuals.’
Mr Leggatt-Chidgey said that the money raised for this project could not be used for anything else.
‘The building is being funded from grants and donations specifically received for the purpose and could not be used for the day to day running costs of the Hospice. The vital fund raising for the operation of those services goes on separately.‘
The new centre, to be built over two floors, will house 25 staff and the hospice hope to take possession of the new building during November 2012. There are no new jobs, but savings will be made by moving staff from rented accommodationinto the new building.
The new facility will provide an extended range of services, including:
Provision of outpatients clinics
A children’s bereavement service
Complementary therapies provision
Family support services
Complementary Therapies education
Mr Leggatt-Chidgey said: ‘This long awaited centre will provide much needed extra services for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families and loved ones. We are enormously grateful to all those organisations and individuals who have seen fit to enable us to extend our care and support in this way.’
