Local charity Farleigh Hospice has unveiled plans for a new centre in Mill Road, Maldon, following delays due to the pandemic.

It is hoped the building, near Promenade Park, will provide a "much-needed hub" for the community. Local people are set to benefit from services similar to those Farleigh offers at its main hospice building in Chelmsford, except for the inpatient service.

A spokesperson for Farleigh Hospice said: "We hope our supporters and those who use our services in and around the Maldon area will be as excited about the development of our new centre as we are!"

Farleigh Hospice's "ambitious" plans to renovate and extend the building in include changing the layout to create "multifunctional spaces" for:

• Private consultations
• Group meetings
• Work
• A quiet area
• An area to access information
• A large hall with opportunities for community group meetings, exhibitions, staff conferences and education/training events
• A café for patients and service users, supporters and the wider public

Exciting plans: Drag the white slider left and right to see how the building looked recently, compared to the architect's image. (Images: Google 2018 and Farleigh Hospice)

In January 2020, the organisation purchased the building with plans to open a second base there, as part of its mission to provide hospice care and bereavement support to all.

But when the recent pandemic halted plans for the building's redevelopment, Farleigh still managed to put it to good use and made the building the base for its South Locality Care Team – made up of multi-disciplinary professionals who provide a holistic hospice service.

Three years on, the charity says it is delighted to finally share its "exciting plans" for the building.

The centre will remain home to the South Locality Care Team, with a strong focus on supporting patients receiving palliative care to live well.

Patients will have access to a range of consultative and therapeutic services at the centre or in their own homes - wherever they prefer. The centre will also provide a base for Farleigh's Bereavement Team to reach out to those bereaved within the local area.

Next month, Farleigh Hospice will host its annual 'Walk for Life' fundraising event. Six colleagues from kitchen supplier Howdens, on The Causeway, Maldon, are set to hike 24 kilometres (14.9 miles) from Heybridge Basin to Chelmsford, as part of the event.

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