WORK will start before the end of the month to convert a former hotel into Kemp Hospice's new enlarged day care centre.

The Mason Road building will be transformed into a 24-patient facility, double the size of the present centre, by early summer.

Once the centre is up and running - nearly two years sooner than originally planned - work will get underway to create the rest of the state-of-the-art hospice complete with a lift and wheelchair access.

This will include a bedded unit - which the present cramped Sutton Park Road site does not offer - for up to nine people.

The hospice cares for people suffering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Kemp Hospice had been appealing for £2.2 million to move into a purpose-built facility by next year but the deal to buy the former Cedars Hotel has drastically reduced that total.

More than £650,000 has been raised or pledged since the appeal was launched in May and campaign manager John Fletcher said it was about halfway.

He added: "If we can raise about £1.2 million to £1.4 million we'll save nearly £1 million.

"We'll have more space and a bigger resource and we'll bring the whole project forward by about two years."

He added: "We have no doubt there will be an even greater enthusiasm of companies, organisations and individuals now we are getting within sight of our new hospice."

Trusts - many of which Mr Fletcher said are not keen to donate to building projects - are more likely to hand out grants for specific items, such as a £10,000 walk-in bath the hospice is planning to install.

The three-storey building will offer more facilities for both patients and the community.

Free overnight accommodation for patients' loved-ones, a prayer room, a hairdressing salon and a centre for Macmillan nurses - who are funded by Kemp - will eventually be provided.

And meeting rooms will be available for community groups to hire and a coffee lounge could be open to the public.

"The extra space will make the hospice much more a part of the community," said Mr Fletcher.

He refused to speculate on the cost of converting the former Cedars Hotel - bought for £650,000 - which he said was in "extremely good condition".

But it will be far less than building from scratch and cash will also be saved by selling the present site, probably for housing, for more than £500,000.