At the handing over of the keys of Halberry Lodge to the Earl Mountbatten Hospice are, from left, chairman of EMH, John Rickard, executor of the John Cheverton estate,Tim Smith, and chairman of the IW NHS, Danny Fisher.
PATIENTS at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice are set to benefit from improved day-care facilities, thanks to a generous legacy donation.
Following a £600,000 bequest from the estate of late Brighstone resident John Cheverton, the hospice has bought Halberry Lodge from the Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust (PCT). And, thanks to an additional £495,000 grant from the Department of Health, the hospice will now upgrade the Newport property.
This will allow it to offer a wider range of day-care services, adding activities, such as yoga, to its existing art and music therapy programmes.
Mark Price, director of corporate affairs at the Isle of Wight PCT, said the trust had worked closely with the hospice.
"We were pleased to be able to treat the hospice as a 'priority purchaser’. The hospice benefits from the building and land and the NHS benefits from the income from the sale — it’s a win-win situation for the organisations and for Islanders," he said.
The £600,000 donation is the second generous bequest to the charity from Mr Cheverton’s estate, following a £750,000 donation last year to upgrade the hospice’s main ward.
"We are just overwhelmed by the generosity of Mr Cheverton and his estate," said hospice chief executive Graham Elderfield.
"He was clearly a man who felt the hospice undertook good work and wanted to support us after he died."
Tim Smith, the executor of the estate, said Mr Cheverton had chosen a number of charities to support after his death, with instructions his legacy be divided among them.
"The hospice was very close to John’s heart and I thought this was a special project for which John would be remembered and the Island would benefit," said Mr Smith.
Halberry Lodge is situated just off Fairlee Road, almost directly opposite the hospice. It was used by the PCT to provide mental health services before they were relocated to Sevenacres.
Refurbishment work will begin in January next year and is expected to be completed by summer, 2012.
Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk