HUNDREDS of volunteer fundraisers all over the area had that champagne feeling this week after the St Helens and Knowsley Hospice Appeal Fund finally hit its target of £1.8 million.

Over the last six years, people in St Helens and Knowsley have pulled out all the stops to help raise money for the appeal to build a hospice, with 'thermometers' erected at various sites across the borough to record their progress for townsfolk.

The appeal itself has been run by a management council of volunteers led by Lady Kirsty Pilkington with representatives from the legal, medical, financial and nursing professions.

Construction was started in January, 1996 and the project team, consisting of volunteers from the medical and building professions, worked to develop its design, liaising with architects and builders to make sure that the finished hospice would be able to fully meet the patients' needs. Their hard work came to fruition in March this year when the building was finally completed.

As awareness spread and more people became involved, the donations began to flood in to the campaign office, sending the town centre thermometer soaring. And the appeal finally reached the magic £1.8 million mark when Brian Bennett, former Provincial Grand Primo for the Royal Antidiluvian Order of Buffaloes in St Helens, presented the appeal with a cheque for £3,500 raised during his year of office.

However, the fund-raising does not stop here. The hospice's annual running costs have been estimated at £650,000 and the management council will continue to receive donations from the local community.

Les Johnston, director of fund-raising, applauded the tremendous achievement of the local community in raising the capital, saying: "I would like to thank everyone who has supported the appeal to date whether through cheque presentations, joining our hospice lottery or buying items from our two charity shops in St Helens and Earlestown. I hope that everyone will now continue to support these initiatives and other organised fund-raising events intended to raise money to meet the annual running costs."

Meanwhile, plans are currently being finalised for a public viewing of the completed building on designated days in May.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.