Acorns Children's Hospice reaches £750k fundraising target

A local fundraising group helped the hospice's appeal reach its target

A children's hospice has met its fundraising target to pay for the refurbishment of one of its centres.

A local fundraising group helped Acorn's Children's Hospice raise £750,000 to transform its Walsall site.

The charity supports about 200 children a year at the site and also has centres in Worcester and Birmingham.

The public's response to its Room to Grow appeal had been "remarkable" the charity said.

Helping the hospice reach the amount was a final donation of £175,000 from the League of Friends of the Walsall Healthcare Trust.

The hospice receied a donation of £200,000 from the sale of a Banksy artwork

The efforts were earlier helped by the sale of a Banksy artwork, when it was auctioned after being installed at University Hospital Southampton.

Noel Cramer from the charity said: "We had no doubt that the local community would rally behind the hospice and help us get to the finish line.

"Now we're delighted to say 'we've done it'.

"The response from the community has been remarkable and we're truly grateful to everyone who has donated," he added.

As part of the improvement work, bedrooms where children stay for short breaks, as well as the corridors, reception, dining room will be refurbished.

It will also become the first of the charity's three hospices to have piped oxygen built into the bedrooms.

A new purpose-built craft room is set to be named "Isabella's Place" in memory of a local girl who spent happy years visiting the site, said the charity.