JUBILANT fund-raisers are celebrating news of a fantastic early Christmas present - £170,000 of Lottery cash towards the building costs

of Worcester's new St Richard's Hospice.

The money comes from The Big Lottery Fund and brings the New Hospice Appeal even closer to its £5.25m target - there is now less than £100,000 to raise.

Building work started in August on the site, close to County Hall in Spetchley Road, and the new hospice is expected to open to patients in the autumn next year.

The new St Richard's will contain all the current hospice services as well as capacity for 15 urgently-needed specialist beds for patients with cancer and other life-threatening illness.

Barney Price, chief executive of St Richard's, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in winning this lottery grant.

"We are due to open the new hospice initially with ten specialist beds for patients, and this grant now enables us to look at opening the further five beds sooner than we anticipated."

He added that the people of Worcestershire had been incredible in the way they have really taken the Appeal to their hearts and have very generously donated.

"We will continue to need that strong support when we open the new hospice to ensure we can carry on providing our vital care for patients and their families," he added.

St Richard's is currently based at Rose Hill, Worcester, and offers free services including a day hospice, home care team, Bereavement, Social Work, Family Therapy and Counselling Service, 24-hour on-call advice line and The Snowdrop Group for young women living with cancer.

Last year more than 1,550 patients and families received support from the St Richard's team.