Dig deep and help us reach £4m goal

For 79-year-old Mrs Sayce the new Acorns' hospice in Worcester has an extremely special place in her heart.

For years, builders had been offering Mrs Sayce and her husband, Willie, bundles of cash for their three-acre plot of land behind their home in Bath Road, near Worcester city centre.

But they fought off promises of new-found wealth after hearing the plight of Acorns Children's Hospice Trust, which was trying to find land to build a new hospice for life-limited children.

Having never been able to have children themselves, they were deeply touched by the battles of the seriously-ill youngsters and set their hearts on donating their plot to the charity.

That was in 1999, but sadly Mr Sayce passed away at the age of 75 in April 2000 and will never have the chance of seeing his last wishes become a reality.

Because the land and the hospice meant so much to Mr Sayce, who was born, lived his entire life and died at the house, Mrs Sayce is now making a fresh appeal.

She has urged the people of Worcestershire to help raise the final £1.3m of the £4m the charity needs to complete the building.

"Although these children's lives are short they will have such comfort and care at this hospice, and that's what this is all about," said Mrs Sayce, who is now a patron of Acorns.

"They can't help being so ill, that's the terrible thing, and they need all our help, as much as we can give them.

"I have met a lot of the families who will benefit from this hospice and they were overwhelmed to think that this would be built for them, it means so much to them.

"The location is ideal, it's near the motorway for all the families coming from Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and near to the city centre for the children in Worcestershire.

"Now I know first hand what it means to them, they have even come to me and shaken my hand and thanked me, which was most touching.

"They have the land and it's starting to take shape but there is still a long way to go and the bottom line is we need this money to complete it.

"Then, after that, the vital thing is to carry on fund-raising to ensure it is kept open, helping all these families who desperately need it.

"People have been so generous already but we are relying on the good people to continue their generosity and I would say please, please dig deep into your pockets and help these children.

"I'm hoping the people of Worcestershire won't let me down - they haven't so far."

Mrs Sayce has been following every step of the new hospice's journey and helped kick-start the build by digging the first sod of grass on the site last October.

Since then, she has been keeping a watchful eye out of her living room window, witnessing the hospice come to life in front of her.

"I think its absolutely wonderful how quickly it seems to be being built and it's going to be a very attractive building.

"It's a pleasing design, not imposing, and it doesn't look like your stereotypical hospice. It will be welcoming and won't be scary for the children.

"I think Willie would think it's wonderful and I'm convinced he would be as pleased as I am with everything.

"I have missed not having him here, he would have loved to watch it being built and we would have sat for hours discussing it and sharing it.

"But nevertheless, Acorns has helped me have a new life after Willie."

And Mrs Sayce is not the only one who has been keeping a watch over the work.

The self-confessed animal lover, who, with her husband, used to care for livestock on the land where the hospice is being built, including poultry and cattle, is sharing the experience with her donkey, 30-year-old Dotty, and her 75-year-old tortoise, Lightening.

Dotty will also play a key part in the new hospice, being a playmate for the children.

Loopy walkers are urgently needed

AS Acorns urges county residents to dig deep into their pockets it is encouraging people to take part in its sponsored walk.

If you enjoy the great outdoors, why not go walkabout for the charity and help raise funds for its appeal to build a much-needed hospice that will support hundreds of children.

Following the success of the first Acorns Walk for the Three Counties last year, which raised more than £20,000, the charity is organising another sponsored walk, which will take place on Sunday, June 27.

This time the route will start in Gloucestershire and head up to Worcester, covering a total of 20km, or 13.5 miles, with walkers choosing to complete either the whole walk or one of three "loops".

All the walks will start and finish at the Hilton Hotel in Puckrup, near Tewkesbury, and follow the River Avon south, returning along the River Severn and taking in stunning countryside and pretty villages en route.

The three "loops" are:

n The Twyning Loop -- this delightful 7km or 4.6-mile walk heads north-east from Puckrup and circles the village of Twyning, providing fantastic views of both the Malverns and Bredon Hill before meeting the River Avon and returning to Puckrup Hall.

n The Tewkesbury Loop - the longest of the three at 14.3km or 9.5 miles. This follows the same path as the Twyning Loop before heading south, along the River Avon to Tewkesbury. The walk then goes past the Marina and leaves the Avon to walk north along the River Severn before returning to Puckrup.

n The Ripple Loop is 13.5 km or nine miles and heads south-east from Puckrup and down to the River Severn, taking in the pretty village of Ripple en-route.

"Last year's walk was a huge success. We had fantastic weather and more than 200 people strode out in support of our new children's hospice fund-raising appeal," said Acorns' events manager, Emily Henton.

"We would love even more people to sign up for this year's event which promises wonderful views and a thoroughly enjoyable day out in the countryside.

"It's a great opportunity to join up with a group of friends, family or work colleagues and help raise money for life-limited children and their families across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire."

For more details of the Acorns Walk for the Three Counties and a sponsorship pack, please telephone Emily Henton on 0121 218 4802 or email events@acorns.org.uk

Six months on, it is a site for sore eyes

IT was just six months ago that the first sod of turf was being dug on the piece of land that is to become the site of the new Acorns hospice.

Yet, in that short period of time, builders have been working round the clock and the hospice is really beginning to take shape.

In fact, it is four weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to the sheer hard work and dedication of the staff.

Project manager Mike Cartledge could hardly contain his excitement over how well the building is developing as he took me on a tour of the site.

The hospice is being built by the Malvern-based company Speller Metcalfe Ltd, which had proved to be a key to the success of the progress, said Mr Cartledge.

"It's one of the best organised and managed sites I've ever come across and that reflects on Speller Metcalfe," he added.

"The workers are putting their hearts into it.

"When some of the children and families came to look at the site when we were marking out the foundations the builders had a chance to meet them.

"They saw who it was they were working for and it gave them a great impetus for giving it their utmost."

There can be up to 30 people working on the site at any one time and the builders have battled against snow, rain and gales and have already built all of the supporting walls, as well as many other features.

"I'm amazed it's taken shape so quickly," said Mr Cartledge.

"People can drive by now and see clearly what we are doing and what their donations are being spent on.

"Instead of peering at models and looking at plans we can see the real thing taking shape before our very eyes."

He is now counting down the months to when the hospice will open, and the charity hopes to complete building work by December this year, welcoming in families in early in 2005.

The 10-bed hospice will include state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, multi-sensory rooms, and a craft room, a music therapy room and other facilities for both young children and teenagers, as well as their families.

Residential respite care, emergency and terminal care facilities will also be provided.

The hospice will also act as a base for a community team to offer home support to families, including bereavement counselling.

October 2003 - the fist sod of turf was dug.

January 2004 - The foundation stone was laid by the founder patron, The Earl of Lichfield.

Now - More than 100,000 bricks and blocks are being laid to form the shell of the building.

June 2004 - Topping Out Ceremony. The last tile will be put on the roof and work on the interior of the building can start.

September 2004 - Recruitment drive to employ 38 to 40 members of the hospice staff.

October 2004 - internal work such as plumbing, electrical work and painting to be completed.

November 2004 - Fixtures and fittings such as carpets and beds will furnish the hospice.

December 2004 and January 2005 - Open days are due to be held and a chance to thank all those who have helped ensure the project is set up and running.