Redevelopment appeal director Sandra Platts and Jo Boyd director of nursing walk through the hospice’s new entrance. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 1167024)

AN AIRY entrance hall, spacious sun-filled corridors, and light streaming in from modern windows and skylights – the new-look Les Bourgs Hospice is already becoming the up-to-date, welcoming 21st century facility it deserves to be.

Latest architectural design mixed with thoughtful planning and medical expertise is helping make what is already Guernsey’s much-loved jewel in the crown shine even brighter.

While many doors are installed and the walls have been plastered, there remains lots to be done at the St Andrew’s site and more funds are still needed.

But the hard work and commitment of the charity’s appeal committee, coupled with the generosity and support of islanders towards the whole fundraising campaign, is clear to see around every corner and the community’s purpose-built hospice is truly taking shape.

The Rebuilding Les Bourgs appeal, for which the Guernsey Press is media partner, was launched early last year and is now entering a key stage.

Patients were expected to move in during January 2012 but the building project is now looking well ahead of schedule with completion expected by November. That means islanders could get their first chance to look around the new Les Bourgs, built on the site of the former Andrew Mitchell House, by the autumn.

Director of nursing Jo Boyd said she was looking forward to showing people around the facility at open days planned for October, so they could see where their hard-earned money had been spent.

As a newly-built centre it will naturally look different to its predecessor, though it is hoped that the special home-from-home atmosphere that the hospice has always offered will remain the same.

‘I would ask that people bear in mind that we have not replicated what we had before,’ said Mrs Boyd. ‘The old building was a converted house and this is a purpose-built facility, so we’re not comparing like-for-like.’

A new set of standards has been followed to ensure that all patient accommodation meets current regulations. For infection control reasons, rooms have to be easy to clean and fabrics must be able to cope with being washed at a high temperature, all of which has meant that some areas will have a more clinical appearance.

‘However, we have softened it wherever we can and the most important thing is that the work that goes on here with patients will remain at the same high standard it always has been.’

The £2.9m figure that was needed to complete the work last December has now been reduced to £1.8m.

Appeal director Sandra Platts said the aim had always been to build the best hospice for the Bailiwick and it would still open if the funding target had not been met. ‘We’re extremely grateful for the money we have but we still need more,’ she said, adding that fundraising was ongoing.

Recent events have included Jackie Brache and Kim Morton’s walk across Hadrian’s Wall, Swoffers’ Three Peaks Challenge and a ‘garden for a garden’ initiative.

R. G. Falla site manager Ian Carre (pictured right) said the project was going well.

‘When I came here in January we were just starting to get the building watertight and that was completed in March,’ he said.

Work on the former Andrew Mitchell House – which needed to be demolished and rebuilt – is now very advanced with carpet-laying and final decoration under way. Mr Carre said the biggest challenge his company had faced was in producing a curved building as part of

the design. For example, door liners had to be curved or they would have protruded by about 15mm.

‘And the roof rafters taper from 400mm spacing at the bottom to 360mm spacing at the top, which meant that every roof-tile had to be cut,’ said Mr Carre.

Stainless-steel on the veranda also had to be curved and the rounded nature of the walls will have to be taken

into account even when it comes to hanging pictures in future. The project is currently in its 63rd week of a scheduled 75.