AN OXFORD hospice is hoping to reach out to more seriously ill patients after a £70,000 lottery grant.

Sobell House Hospice, based at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, used the money to fund a new driver for the day centre.

It is hoped the annual number of people visiting the day centre will now jump from about 1,600 to more than 2,500 over the next three years.

New driver John Dopson will take patients who cannot travel there themselves, in a minibus funded by private donations.

Fundraiser Kevin Game said: “This is a huge investment for us, it’s something we can really use to help more patients.

“It takes a lot of work to get a big lottery grant, people put a lot of effort into this, and it’s paid off.”

The hospice, which was refurbished in February, celebrated the £70,951 from the Big Lottery Fund in April.

Its older van could only transport one person in a wheelchair, but the new vehicle can take three.

Mr Game said: “The lottery money will fund the driver for the next three years.

“Although we already had a van of our own, it has always been run by volunteers so we couldn’t guarantee someone would always be available.

“Already, we can reach out to more people who might not have been able to get to our facilities before.”

The hospice’s day centre provides counselling, therapies, pain relief and a host of other activities for people with life-limiting illnesses.

Mr Game said: “And it gives someone the opportunity to come in and give their families, who may be caring for them, a bit of a break. Sometimes they just need a bit of ‘TLC’ too.”

He added: “It is important that we get to as many people as possible. It’s an important part of our work getting to help anyone who has been affected by serious illnesses in Oxfordshire.”

Mr Dopson, from Cowley, said he was looking forward to getting out to help those very people.

The 68-year-old said: “I’ve done lots of courses, I’ve just got the first aid and an induction course to do and then I’m good to go.

“There’s been a need for this transport for some time because people in wheelchairs have been stuck at home.

“Now they can be taken safely and securely and continue to lead a normal life.”