AFTER 18 months of fundraising work is scheduled to start on the new Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in June.

And Ryder Architecture has been appointed to implement the detailed design and delivery phase of its new building in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, on land gifted to the hospice by Glasgow City Council.

Ryder will build on work undertaken by NORD.

Alastair Forbes, project lead from Ryder, said: “I am delighted to be part of this special project again following my involvement from project inception at NORD.

“We are very excited about the opportunity of developing the innovative design, based on the Sengetun model, that supports the high quality end-of-life care that is firmly patient and family focused.”

The Evening Times-backed £21m Brick by Brick Project aims to create a new 5,840-square metre state-of-the-art hospice facility will provide a 16-bed in-patient unit along with associated support and family spaces, a young adult unit including two bedrooms in the in-patient unit, a hydrotherapy pool, a day and outpatient service, an education area and administration and clinical offices.

Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice chief executive, Rhona Baillie, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have appointed Ryder Architecture and are looking forward to working with Alastair Forbes to start the build in June.

“So far we have raised more than £16.5 million with £4.5 million to go - 2016 promises to be a very exciting year for us as we lay the first bricks for the new hospice."

The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice at Carleton Place, Glasgow, is a charity, founded in 1980.

In day care and on the wards, more than 1200 patients and families are cared for every year.

The hospice depends on the generosity of supporters and the community to raise the £3 million in voluntary donations that is required to maintain our invaluable services for the people of Glasgow.

The foundations go down in June 2016 and patients are expected to move in spring 2018.