The Louise Hamilton Centre has launched its ambitious campaign to build an end-of-life hospice in the grounds of the James Paget University Hospital.

It will cost £3million to build the 10-bed hospice unit - and ambassador Roberta Lovick, whose daughter Louise died of cancer aged 28, is hoping the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney will once again help make the dream come true.

The hospice would be connected to the hospital and the palliative care centre, which opened on the Paget site in March 2013. It will be built and funded through a new charity called the Louise Hamilton Trust, running alongside Palliative Care East which runs the Louise Hamilton Centre (LHC). In the two years since the £1.5million LHC opened its doors more than 18,000 people with life limiting or progressive illness have crossed into its bright, comforting surroundings to receive support, advice, counselling and treatments.

Mrs Lovick said the time was right to launch phase two and complete what the centre was always meant to be. 'This is something we've wanted from the start,' said Mrs Lovick. 'We've listened to people, to patients here at the centre and to families, and this is something we need.

'It comes too late for some people, but I know how they would have supported this, how much of a difference it will make to people.'

At the moment, the region's palliative care doctors work across the Paget - moving from ward to ward and within the community to support people at the end of their lives.

Detailed plans of the bedded unit are currently being drawn up by architects but will include accommodation for family.

Mrs Lovick said having hospice beds will drastically change the end-of-life care currently available locally, giving people more options such as receiving the right pain medication before they can go home to spend their final days with loved ones.

If you would like to donate to the Louise Hamilton Centre's hospice appeal, contact the fundraising team on 01493 453348 or send cheques payable to Louise Hamilton Trust to the Fundraising Office, Louise Hamilton Centre, James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, NR31 6LA.

Are you organising a fund-raising campaign? Tell The Journal by calling 01502 525820 or email andrew.papworth@archant.co.uk