Hospice plans move forward with £3.53m boost

9 hours ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — Ann-Marie Kelly and Tony Harwood said the hospice would meet needs for years to come

Maidstone Borough Council Ann-Marie Kelly is wearing a bright blue top and Councillor Tony Harwood is wearing a striped shirt and dark waistcoat with a purple lanyard. The pair are standing side-by-side indoors, with a large floral wall design behind them. Both are facing the camera. — Ann-Marie Kelly and Tony Harwood said the hospice would meet needs for years to come

Plans for a new hospice and community care hub in Kent have moved forward with the approval of £3.53m of council funding for the project.

Maidstone Borough Council said the funds marked "a significant milestone" for the £18.5m Heart of Kent Hospice project in Linton.

The purpose-built hospice will provide palliative care facilities alongside wider health and care services for people across Maidstone and the surrounding area.

The council said more than a third of the project cost had now been secured. However, the hospice still needs to raise a further £12m and there is no construction start date until the remaining funds are found.

The money has been awarded through the council's Community Infrastructure Levy programme, which uses developer contributions to support local projects.

Heart of Kent Hospice has provided care and support to people with terminal illnesses and their families for more than 35 years.

'Light and space'

Hospice chief executive Ann-Marie Kelly said the award will "future-proof the provision of outstanding palliative and end-of-life care for terminally-ill people in our community".

She said the new hospice would be a community asset where patients and their loved ones could receive support from its staff and volunteers.

"Flooded with natural light and open-spaces, we are eager to welcome our community and to support terminally-ill people to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives," she said.

Councillor Tony Harwood, cabinet member for planning policy and management, said the hospice provided "invaluable support" to thousands of local people and their families.

He said the funding would help to progress plans for facilities that can meet the community's needs for many years to come.

The council's funding award is part of a wider £13.8m package approved by the local authority for projects across the borough.

They include education, healthcare, community facilities, transport improvements and public open space.

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