It’s been two months since local charity Rennie Grove Hospice Care launched its appeal to help raise the funds it needs to transform Grove House into a community hub for people with life-limiting illness.
The people of St Albans and its surrounding towns and villages have given very generously so far, although there is still a way to go to raise the balance needed to complete the redevelopment.
Rennie Grove wants to treble the amount of space at Grove House to expand its range of services and increase its opening hours to make care more easily accessible by all.
The charity will also create facilities needed to open up the building to the children its nurses care for locally and provide a welcoming and relaxing environment for everyone using Grove House.
This includes Rennie Grove's dedicated team of award-winning volunteers. There are more than 200 of them supporting staff and patients at Grove House, giving their time generously across many different roles ensuring all services run smoothly.
Hilary Barltrop has been a Grove House volunteer for almost nine years. She said: "Grove House provides a supportive, caring and safe environment for patients and so the refurbishment will certainly enhance all of these.
"Sometimes new patients are anxious about their first visit so a bright new environment will be more welcoming and help to put them and their families and carers at ease.
"It will also enable many more people to benefit from the services that are on offer at Grove House whilst providing a more spacious and effective space for staff and volunteers too."
Julia Thomas is a volunteer receptionist at Grove House. She said: "The new refurbishment will be an asset to Grove House. Updating the interior and the bigger communal spaces will enable our patients to enjoy a more relaxed and inclusive environment. Increasing the space will also enable us to see more patients and increase the service we offer. From my point of view I can't wait to work in the newly revamped reception area!"
Visit renniegrove.org/GHappeal to learn more about the ways you can support the Grove House appeal. Visit rennigrove.org/volunteer for all the charity's volunteering opportunities.
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