In 1981, St. Ann's Vicarage in Orford was identified as a suitable site and, to the delight of all concerned, this proved to be the beginning of St. Rocco's Hospice.
Fund-raising continued and with the support of both the public and local industry and business people, the sum of £300,000 was raised to buy, alter and equip the building and allow for one year's running costs to be in the bank.
The Vicarage was handed over to us on 28th February 1983. Alterations began in the middle of 1984, with the aim of completing the work ready for the Hospice to be opened on 1st May 1985.
The first patient was admitted on the 7th May 1985. The Hospice was officially opened in September 1985 by Her Grace, the Duchess of Norfolk.
The building was a sturdy Victorian House, initially catering for 7 in-patients. Over the years, it was extended and modified to accomodate 9 in-patients and 5 day patients, albeit that the Day Unit was on the first floor!
By late 1991, it became apparent that the Hospice had outgrown the building. The Trustees investigated the possibilty of further extending the existing building but this did not prove viable. In June 1992, the Trustees unanimously agreed that the most appropriate solution was for a new unit to be built on an alternative site.
Over the next 3 years, a lot of work was done planning the type of building that was required, estimating costs, seeking advice about fundraising for the project and identifying a suitable site.
In March 1993, enquiries were made regarding the availability of land on the former Bewsey High School playing field. Warrington Borough Council and Cheshire County Council agreed to donate this land subject to approval from the Department of the Environment, and this was obtained in January 1996.
On 16th October 1995, a formal appeal to the general public for £1.5m was launched at Warrington Town Hall. However, by July 1996, the cost was estimated to be £2.18m. Then, after an application to the National Lottery for £500,000 was turned down in December 1996, the Trustees called a halt to the project on the grounds that sufficient funds could not be raised to cover the cost of the project in an acceptable time.
In January 1997, the whole project was reviewed and re-evaluated, and a scaled-down specification was developed.
The main provisions were:
- 9 single bedrooms
- 1 double bedroom (for family use)
- 15 day patients
Planning permission was obtained and, in October 1997, land leases were completed and a building company was appointed to begin construction. The Turf Cutting Ceremony took place on 25th November and work started in earnest.
Following several setbacks, the floor slab was started on 3rd March 1998 and on 25th May the Foundation Stone was laid by Lady Daresbury. The completed building was handed over to us on 12th December 1998 and the chapel was consecrated later that month.
The new Hospice was formally opened on 23rd June 1999 by the Duchess of Norfolk and on 25th January, the first 3 patients were transferred from the old building into the new.
However the story does not end there and we have recently had a large expansion to improve our Day Unit and provide an education facility.
