Evening News-backed hospice appeal reaches massive milestone

THE Evening News-backed Buy a Brick appeal to help rebuild St Columba's Hospice has broken the £200,000 barrier.

Generous donations from our readers helped reach the incredible total in just five months, with the last 50,000 raised in only six weeks. The total now stands at 206,585.

The appeal marks the start of the hospice's fundraising to create state-of-the-art facilities at its site at Granton. The rebuild will cost 26 million, with 7m still to be raised.

The hospice's director of fundraising, Lesley Christie, said today: "Reaching the 200,000 mark after only a few months is amazing, and the generosity of Evening News readers and everyone who has supported our appeal is more than we could ever have hoped for.

"It has surprised us how regularly the donations have been coming in. We thought donations would tail off after the initial launch of our Buy a Brick Appeal, but every day more and more people have been digging deep to help. We are very grateful to everyone who has got behind the appeal and we really hope people will continue to support us as we get set to raise the next 200,000. Thank you all so much."

More than 2500 donations have been made to Buy a Brick so far, ranging in value from 1 to 5000. The largest single donation, of 5000, was made in recent weeks. A separate 100,000 donation was also made anonymously in July to the separate re-build appeal.

Today's news comes just as the appeal prepares to draw to a close on September 30, so time is running out to dedicate a brick and make a donation.

Bricks have been bought in memory of those who died at the hospice, to commemorate births or weddings, and many simply in appreciation of the work the hospice does.

Pilrig resident Cathleen Blacklaw, whose husband Bill died at the hospice from a brain tumour just 16 months after they met, said: "It's just fantastic that people are supporting the hospice in this way because it is a wonderful place. It just brings comfort at the time when people need it, to patients and families."

The generosity shown by each of the donors brings the hospice a step closer to realising its plans for modernisation.

The renovations will include the creation of brand new inpatient areas on two floors, with the number of single rooms increasing from eight to 18. There will also be a renovated day hospice and therapy rooms and a new education centre to train the doctors and nurses of tomorrow in end-of-life care.

Each ward will have easy access to an outside space, the gardens will be renewed, and a new non-denominational "sacred space" will be created for reflection and memorial.