"We want to create something special" - Overgate announces plans for new £12.75m hospice and launch Big Build Appeal to help raise the £3m needed so work can begin

The £12.75m project, which has received backing from TV writer Sally Wainwright, has already secured around £9.75m of funding and Overgate is now calling on the borough for support to raise the final £3m through their Big Build Appeal so work can begin on the dedicated new 16-bed Inpatient Unit (IPU) within the existing grounds.

The new hospice will also include individual bedrooms with spacious, accessible, ensuite bathrooms to increase patients’ independence, privacy and dignity, more spacious rooms which allow for larger families to visit and a new multi-faith spiritual space for quiet reflection and tech-ready rooms featuring internet connection and smart televisions to create a home from home for patients and families.

The current Hospice Inpatient Unit accommodates 12 beds in shared units. It was built back in 1994 and the new centre will mean the existing building can be repurposed to create a larger, refurbished day hospice which can accommodate more people than ever before.

Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack writer Sally said: “Every life is a narrative, with chapters both joyous and challenging. The Overgate Hospice Big Build Appeal offers us an opportunity to ensure that every story, even amidst its most difficult moments, is met with compassion and care.

“By supporting this vital cause, we’re not just constructing a building – we’re building a haven where families in Calderdale can find comfort and support during their toughest times.

"Let’s come together and ensure our hospice is there as a beacon of hope for our community for years to come.”

Tracey Wilcocks, chief executive of Overgate Hospice, said: “This is one of the most important milestones in our history of caring for people from across Calderdale and beyond.

"We want to create something special that can help more people in a much more personal way, creating a real homely environment.

“State-of-the-art facilities combined with 16 individual rooms means we can offer something that we’ve never been able to before, largely due to the age and layout of our existing building.

“Relatives will also be able to stay the night in the new, larger bedrooms with their loved ones or in the new dedicated overnight family room.

“We know many people will need the support of our hospice at some point their lives, so we hope lots of kind-hearted people can dig deep and help us get across the line and begin work soon.

"The sooner we can start the build, the sooner we can help even more people.

“And it doesn’t stop there. Our existing facility will be transformed into a flexible new space, meaning we can provide a wide range of daily therapeutic and social activities – everything from music to art therapy and much more.”

Overgate Hospice is inviting the community to attend drop-in sessions throughout Calderdale to find out more about the Big Build Appeal.

These will be at Todmorden Health Centre and The Apna Staying Well Hub on Thursday, April 25, St Paul’s Methodist Church, Halifax Central Library, Hebden Bridge Town Hall and Brighouse Furniture Shop on Friday, April 26 and Overgate Hospice, The Piece Hall and the OSCA Foundation Centre on Saturday, April 27, all between 10.30am and 2.30pm.