A LOCAL hospice’s plans for a new ‘state-of-the-art’ wellbeing centre have taken two major steps forward.
Dr Kershaw’s Hospice has been granted planning permission and received funding towards the facility, which marks the final phase of its outdoor redevelopment project.
The Roger Tanner Trust has given a ‘significant grant’ towards the project and the new development will be named ‘The Wellbeing Centre in The Roger Tanner Building’.
“We’re delighted to be able to support such an inspiring project,” said Ian Mills from the Trust.
The Royton-based hospice says its current wellbeing centre is at capacity and the new facility – due to be completed in early 2026 – will offer ‘purpose-built surroundings’ that can accommodate up to 50 patients at any time for therapy, bereavement support, dementia care and creative wellbeing services.
The centre will be linked to the outdoor space and revitalised gardens to enable more nature-based and mindfulness activities.
“The Wellbeing Centre in The Roger Tanner Building will be a calming, beautiful space to support mental and physical wellbeing, and engagement with nature and community,” said Kat Harding, the hospice’s Wellbeing Centre Manager.
“It will enable us to make fuller therapeutic use of our wonderful gardens and woodland space.”
As part of the hospice’s wider redevelopment, a poignant new feature has been included in the external design – a bespoke granite and timber bench designed by Matt Taylor.
Matt is a director at landscape architecture and environment consultant firm Urban Green, who are leading on the project.
The bench was worked up in collaboration with Hardscape, whom Urban Green work closely with as a supplier and have gifted it to the hospice.
Matt’s wife Becky was cared for at Dr Kershaw’s before she died in 2021, aged 37, following a breast cancer diagnosis.
During her illness, Becky found comfort in painting, writing and flower-pressing – activities that later inspired the launch of The Nightbird Project, which will benefit from the new building.
“I wanted to include something meaningful to Dr Kershaw’s that would both capture and further uplift the garden design scheme,” said Matt.
“I wanted this to be a surprise on arrival and my personal way of thanking Dr Kershaw’s. I’m really happy with the result, it adds a finishing touch to the space. Dr Kershaw’s is our chosen charity at Urban Green, so I’m very pleased to have been able to contribute something special.
“We look forward to the delivery of the final phases and seeing the benefits that the new facilities will bring to the hospice’s Wellbeing Centre services across the local community.”
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