WORK is due to begin on Kemp Hospice’s expansion project to create more space for the growing number of services it provides.

Four new rooms are being built in the garden of the Mason Road hospice, in Kidderminster, including a physiotherapy room, multi-purpose function room, a sanctuary for spiritual care and a dedicated space for children and young people.

A commencement ceremony where Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier will turn the first sod will take place on Monday from 10.30am.

The extension has been carefully designed to impact the environment and the hospice’s neighbours as little as possible.

The one-storey building, funded by a grant from NHS England, will give patients the opportunity to take part in activities as a group and have a quiet space for reflection.

Chief executive Terry Osborn said: “If we’ve got a patient that needs quiet and they want to talk to us about something, we’ll now have a room that’s insulated, very quiet and away from everything else that we do, which is very important.

“The multi-purpose function room will bring patients together for more social events so they can share more time together with people who are suffering the same outcomes.”

The function room will also be used for the hospice’s ‘days out’ where staff and patients play the part and ‘visit’ Wimbledon or the races.

Mr Osborn added: “Our bereavement services for children and young people are a huge success and we’ve struggled to keep up with the demand.

“Their room will give them their own entrance from the side of the hospice so they don’t have to come in the front door.

“Patients come here to live. It’s a happy, friendly, warm place to come but if you’re coming for the first time, as a young person, and you bump into patients or nurses, it might be really difficult.”

A factory in Wales will make the panels used in the buildings and local contractors, Universal Learning, will complete the work on site.

Mr Osborn added: “It’s going to open up our services. At the moment, we’re compact and constricted because of the constraints of the building. It will give us space and light and freedom to do things we couldn’t do before.”

The existing rooms in the hospice will be used to accommodate the hairdressing salon and bathroom, which are currently on the first floor, to provide easier access.

Mr Osborn added: “Without the support of NHS England and Help the Hospices this vital new annex would not have been possible and we are grateful to them for their support of our work in the Wyre Forest by providing a grant of £398,000.”

Building works aim to be completed by March next year.