By Pukaar News | Posted 4 October, 2016
A turf cutting ceremony took place on 3rd October to mark the start of LOROS Hospice’s £6 million extension.
Supporting the Hospice was Leicester City Ambassador Alan “The Birch” Birchenall who gave dozens of people the once in a lifetime opportunity to have a photo with the Premier League Trophy before making the first dig of LOROS’ two-year site development.
The Birch has been involved with the Groby Road Hospice since it 
opened 31 years ago, and has been one of its patrons for five years.
The extension will be taking place over the next two years and includes two phases, one of which will see the creation of a brand new Professional Development Centre.
The second phase of the project will see the extension of the Hospice’s Day Therapy Unit, allowing around 250 more patients to benefit for the services every year.
The Birch, who sadly lost a friend that stayed at LOROS Hospice said: “I got an understanding of the amazing staff and the work LOROS does.
“It’s such a special place for all Leicester and Leicestershire people and those around the East Midlands.”
To celebrate this year’s national Hospice Care Week, the event ran alongside the release of a 90 second animated clip, entitled ‘The Elephant in the Room,’ produced by LOROS and eight other Hospice’s across the East Midlands. The clip has been created to drive away the myths surrounding the work they do.
LOROS CEO John Knight said: “We are so excited to be working together with fellow Hospices from across the East Midlands, to produce such a powerful and effective animation.
“When a person is told they are terminally ill, all sorts of thoughts go through their head but sometimes go unspoken and this forms an ‘elephant in the room’.
“We hope that people, whether they are patients, family members or carers, will be able to relate to the animation and feel more comfortable about coming to their local Hospice.”
The Elephant in the Room can be viewed by visiting:mylocalhospice.co.uk
