A NEW charity family support and bereavement suite has opened in Bournemouth.

Lewis Manning Hospice Care has partnered with the LuxuryCare Group which runs Kingsman House to support the community by donating a suite of four rooms in the Bournemouth care home on Branksome Wood Road.

This gift has allowed the hospice to expand  its services into Bournemouth and will be run by existing team members and volunteers.

CEO Clare Gallie said, “We are incredibly grateful that Luxury Care have allowed us to open this suite at their beautiful Kingsman Care Home.

“It’s an impressive space which we’ve renovated to put our own mark on it and to give it the appropriate feel for an intimate space where we can deliver our counselling. It has allowed us to expand our family support and bereavement services into Bournemouth and to support families and patients with the counselling that they need at a difficult time.

“The rooms will also be available for our staff and extended teams to use for meetings, so it’s a brilliant addition to our existing facilities and allows us so much flexibility. It’s a great opportunity to work so closely with the Luxury Care Group at one of their fantastic care homes.

“Our team has been hard at work with the renovations, and we’ve had some wonderful support from businesses in the local community; Poole Lighting, Travis and Perkins, Farrow & Ball, Insignia Shade & Shutter Co, Dunelm, John Lewis Partnership Branksome, Dunelm, B & Q Poole, HomeSense Branksome, Towngate Gallery, Curry’s Poole and artist, Harriett Sheppherd.

“Huge thanks to all concerned.”

Operations Director Samantha Hoskins at Luxury Care said, “We are delighted to be supporting Lewis-Manning Hospice care. We are great admirers of the extraordinary care that they deliver across East Dorset, Purbeck, Bournemouth and West Hampshire.

“It’s good to be collaborating with them and making a difference to the services that they offer.”

The mayor concluded, “It was a privilege to meet the Lewis-Manning team and officially open the family and bereavement suite.

“This important service provides families with a safe space to receive support. I'm amazed by the generosity and support of Luxury Care Group and the local community in making this new suite possible.”