Hospice Patron Baroness Howells of St David’s was the special guest at the first dig of the new build at Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice in Abbey Wood yesterday (Tuesday, 18 February, 2014).

Baroness Howells helped to turn the first sod accompanied by Hospice Chief Executive Kate Heaps, Estates Manager Michael Power and Site Manager Stewart Wilson.

The first dig marks the beginning of a new building expansion project to develop new and existing Hospice services in order to meet the growing need for hospice care in the local community.

Plans for the work include the refurbishment of the kitchen and a courtyard garden, improvements in access to the main Hospice building, a purpose-built rehabilitation gym and the development of a community hub and care coordination centre.

The new extension, which is set to open early next year, will enable Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice to provide more education and training, open up its facilities to community groups and develop new services.

Baroness Howells, who was appointed Patron of the Hospice charity last year, has first-hand experience of Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice and has supported it for many years.

She said: “I am delighted to be a part of it. It’s such a worthwhile and vital resource for our communities here in Bexley and Greenwich.”

Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice is a registered charity that provides free specialist end of life care to approximately 2,500 adults with life-limiting illnesses living in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley each year.

It is the only provider of specialist palliative care in Greenwich and Bexley and for the past 20 years has championed quality and choice in end of life care. Its catchment area covers an area of approximately 40 square miles and a population of around 500,000.

To find out more about Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice please visit the website www.communityhospice.org.uk.