Sophie Wessex to open Sanctuary at Thames Hospice

The Countess of Wessex is to open the new Sanctuary building at Windsor's Thames Hospice.

The Queen's daughter-in-law will open the new annex on Wednesday, September 10.

The Sanctuary adjoins the main hospice at Pine Lodge, Hatch Lane and is an 8m by 6m zinc and glass building designed to provide a spiritual or reflective space for patients and their families.

Tia Shortall, head of marketing and community engagements at the hospice, said: "People at the end of their life need to be emotionally supported. The space is big enough for intimate gatherings and will not be overwhelming for someone who wants to to visit on their own.

"There is also a state of the art audio-visual system which people can use to project calming images."

The Sanctuary was build over a period of 18 months with the help of a grant from the Department of Health and will accommodate up to 40 people.

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