A CENTRE treating terminally ill cancer patients has been granted a £600,000 cash boost to create a world class' care facility.

Cotswold Care Hospice has been given £600,000 from a share of £40 million of funding from the Department of Health to improve the quality of life of patients who are facing the end of life.

Marcus Green, Cotswold Care's chief executive, said: "We can now start building as with this money we have raised a staggering £2.3million.

"We need everyone to rally round and help us to raise the final £300,000 which will pay for all the things which will make a huge difference to patients such as high quality furnishings, new equipment and landscaping our grounds.

"The last few months have been very hard for the hospice with difficult decisions, but now we can start the new financial year with tremendous opportunity to realise our dreams."

Local support has been vital to fundraising for the hospice. In the past five years the local community has raised more than 80percent of the funding.

Marcus Green said: "Over £4,000,000 has come from the people of the county to support the work we do with people at the end stage of their life and we desperately need every school, Women's Institute and local society to keep helping us deliver first class services."

Surveys have delayed the start of building work which is now due to begin next month.