Foxes ambassador Alan Birchenall cuts turf for LOROS hospice

LOROS is building a professional development centre and extending its day therapy unit, pictured

A £6m project to expand one of England's largest adult hospices has got under way.

Leicester's LOROS centre, which provides palliative care, is expanding to treat a further 250 patients a year and a teaching centre is being built.

It currently works with 2,500 people with terminal illnesses as either residents or day visitors.

The first sod was cut by Alan Birchenall, Leicester City club ambassador and a patron of the charity.

Leicester City club ambassador Alan Birchenall took the Premier League trophy to LOROS

The former Foxes player - known as The Birch - also cut the turf when LOROS moved to its current site 31 years ago, this time bringing the Premier League trophy with him.

As well as the extension to the day therapy unit the charity, which serves Leicestershire and Rutland, is building a professional development centre to share its expertise.

John Knight, chief executive of LOROS, said: "It's a continuation of the education centre that LOROS already provides. It will be a very beautiful, new bespoke centre where people will come to learn about palliative care.

"It's a way of LOROS spreading our influence further than just the service we provide on site."

LOROS

• The charity was first established in 1977 as the Leicester Organisation for the Relief Of Suffering, later incorporating Rutland and the county.

• It provides free care to 2,500 terminally ill patients, their family and carers every year at a cost of £7.7m

• The 330 staff are supported by more than 1,000 volunteers

• Patient Janet Cave, who has incurable cancer, said: "It's a very positive environment with very positive staff who make people like me feel that life is worth living now."