‘Give Martin House hospice appeal your backing’ says England boss Gareth Southgate

The hospice in Boston Spa yesterday launched its appeal after breaking ground on its ambitious new project, ‘THE BUILD’ with the hope the public donate towards its £2 million target by their winter 2025 deadline.

And Southgate, who has lived locally for more than 20 years and is the charity’s ambassador, said it is an opportunity for Yorkshire to safeguard the facility for the next generation: “It’s always difficult because we’re at a time when the cost of living and the economic situation is difficult and there are lots of demands on people and so many good causes.

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“I can only talk about what I’ve seen on the impact on families in our area and the sad knowledge that there will be more families over the next 20 years who will need this facility.

“Martin House is hugely needed and is operating at an amazing level with the goodwill and endeavours of everyone who works here. We now have a chance to put things in place that will support the area for the next 20 to 30 years.”

THE BUILD will consist of two phases: phase 1 being a children's wing and phase 2 comprising a teenager’s wing, wellbeing and education centre.

With a total project cost of £21.9m the public’s involvement is vital said Southgate: “People have already done an amazing job – what has been donated so far is incredible. This is the next phase, and we’re opening it up to the public. We will get there – everybody is driven to do that – but we are relying on people’s support from outside.”

Clair Holdsworth, chief executive at Martin House, said: “Martin House provides specialist paediatric palliative care across Yorkshire. Advances in medicine mean more children and young people with life shortening conditions are living for longer and with increasingly complex needs and our building needs to be transformed to meet those changing needs.”

To donate visit www.martinhouse.org.uk/thebuild