This
is what it’s all about
By Euan Duguid
HERE’S WHAT our campaign is all about. The proposed plans for Scotland’s new children’s hospice were finally unveiled last week by CHAS chief executive Agnes Malone.
 The blueprint for Scotland’s second children’s hospice indicates that, through a combination of location and design, the building will present a subtle but definite message — to welcome and embrace the children and their families in the harmony of the countryside.
Set in six acres of agricultural land on the north side of Loch
Lomond, donated in a magnificent gesture by a local farmer, the setting boasts the advantage of tranquil surroundings with the access to facilities in the nearby town of
Balloch.
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Agnes with a model of the new hospice,
which will be sited on the slopes leading
down to the shores of Loch Lomond.
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Architect Gareth Hoskins is conscious the proposed building is on greenbelt land, but he hopes to prove to West Dunbartonshire Planning Department that he has taken this into consideration and abided by all the regulations.
The new hospice is designed to be unobtrusive in the rural setting. It will have three layers in a terraced effect into the sloping plot. It’s planned that the building will be constructed with traditional materials like finished wood and stone to reflect the surrounding environment, and will even have an undulating roof to imitate the rolling hills.
The interior will be equipped with modern fittings, including assisted baths, a multi-sensory room and hydrotherapy pool.
Balloch House, the working title for the hospice, will cost an estimated £10 million to build and run if the go-ahead is given and will be geared to cater for eight families at a time.
Agnes Malone said, “I am extremely excited about these plans as there are 1200 families in Scotland who need the service we offer and Rachel House is getting to the point where it simply can’t cope.
“The support of The Sunday Post readers is vital to us and has been tremendous. I would especially like to thank the farmer who donated the land. It was a huge gesture, which was totally unexpected and reduced me to tears.” |
You can e-mail us at:
hospice@sundaypost.com
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