Jo and Nicol back Big Build

1.25.00pm GMT Mon 26th Nov 2007

Jo praised Marie Curie's ongoing fundraising efforts

Patients and staff at Glasgow's Marie Curie Hospice welcomed Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs Jo Swinson and Nicol Stephen on Monday when they visited to show their support to the Big Build Appeal.

Campaigning for Positive Change in Scotland, both Jo and Nicol visited the Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow to see directly the services and facilities on offer to their constituents, and to view plans to build a new state-of-the-art hospice in Springburn.

The new hospice will greatly benefit the cancer care services on offer to patients in East Dunbartonshire. Jo said:

"The Big Build fundraisers for the new Hospice have been doing a fantastic job and the community has been right behind them. There is still a good deal of money to be raised so donors need to be more generous than ever, but I am optimistic that the end result will be a hospice to be proud of."

The new Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow will have a wider impact on cancer care across Scotland as a whole, providing the head office function for the Marie Curie Nursing Services which allow people with cancer to receive end-of-life care in their own homes. Over 64% of people would choose to die at home if they had a terminal illness, and only 25% of cancer patients are currently able to. The Marie Curie Nursing Service actively works to bridge this gap.

Commenting, Nicol Stephen, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland said:

"I congratulate all those involved in the Big Build appeal for their work to date. The new Marie Curie Hospice will benefit people from all over Scotland and I wish the Big Build team the best of luck with their future fundraising efforts."

The new Marie Curie Hospice Glasgow will cost £16million to build, the Big Build fundraising appeal has allowed the charity to raise more than half of this amount but there is still a long way to go. Over the next eighteen months the Big Build team are out in force recruiting volunteers and donors to ensure Glaswegians will get the hospice they deserve.

If you would like to get involved or would like more information call the Big Build Hotline on 0141 531 1383 or visit www.bigbuild.org.uk

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