A new £3.6 million hospice for mid-Essex has been given a £450,000 gift in donations in time for Christmas.
Now campaigners for the New Farleigh Appeal are celebrating the outstanding generosity displayed by their supporters in 2004.
The appeal was adopted by the Chronicle during the year and readers have helped boost fund raising to almost £4 million for New Farleigh, which is due to be completed at the end of next year.
This week the appeal received £250,000 for the day care centre in the new hospice from the charity Macmillan Cancer Relief and £200,000 from Chelmsford-based charitable trusts.
Patients and staff at the existing Farleigh Hospice in New London Road, Chelmsford, welcomed news of the donations.
The new purpose built hospice, being built on a site in Broomfield, will bring a vast improvement in services and facilities for patients, visitors, staff and volunteers.
David Forster, area fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Relief said: "We are delighted to be able to assist Farleigh with this important new development and help the day care centre at the new hospice become a reality.
"Our support for New Farleigh extends Macmillan's work in Essex and we will continue with our appeal to raise £2.5 million for new cancer services across Essex by the end of next year."
The second donation came from the Fowler, Smith and Jones (FSJ) Trusts, which pledged to make funds available for the new hospice development once building work started.
Philip Tolhurst, managing trustee of FSJ Trusts, said: "We are delighted to be a supporter of the New Farleigh Hospice. The funds we have donated will provide a substantial contribution to the appeal and to provide services needed for patients and their carers."
Gary Hawkes, head of fundraising for Farleigh Hospice said: "There is still a big challenge ahead over the coming year to raise just over £2 million to complete the hospice.
"Without the Essex Chronicle and its readers we would not have raised as much as we have so far. This support has been greatly appreciated and has made a huge difference. Now we need everyone's support to continue."
Published Thursday December 23, 2004
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