THE Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice at Farnham has received an unexpected windfall in the form of a £200,000 bequest from a distinguished neuropathologist from Chiddingfold. The bequest has been agreed by the executors of the late Dr Robin Barnard, a Chiddingfold man who was senior consultant at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. Dr Barnard died in May 2005 at the age of 72. He wanted his gift to benefit charities which show an "injection of vibrancy" and that play an important role of "enhancing the quality of life" in their local community. Gifts from his will will also benefit the work of The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. The cash-strapped Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, which has had to close four beds until it can cover a £500,000 shortfall on its running costs, is not allowed under the terms of the bequest to put the money towards the shortfall. However, it will enable the building of a new therapy room and an education/training room in line with the hospice's bigger vision for a therapy and training wing. Work should start on the project in October with a view to completion in Easter 2007. Sarah Brocklebank, chief executive at the hospice, commented: "We are extremely grateful to Dr Barnard and the executors of his estate. "The creation of a therapy room will give patients space to receive treatment and be assessed using specialised equipment in a purpose-built environment. "It will have a very real impact on the patients' quality of life. "The physiotherapists and occupational therapists provide a vital part of the multi- disciplinary clinical team supporting patients and their families in difficult times. "In recent years we have found that demand for therapy services outstrips our capacity, particularly as we have recently expanded our community nursing, medical team and outpatients. "This is, therefore, a very timely and appropriate development at the hospice." The education and training room will be an invaluable resource for hospice staff and volunteers. "In the longer term, the plan is to develop the facility with a view to training and supporting GPs and other healthcare professionals who are caring for patient groups with specialist palliative care needs, whether that be cancer related or patients with Motor Neurone Disease." The chief executive explained: "The gift made by Dr Barnard is restricted very specifically to this capital project and cannot be used in any other way. "In contrast, we are working hard on our Living Appeal within the community to secure the much- needed revenue funding to allow us to continue running the hospice, caring for more than 100 patients, their carers and families each day. "We still have a very long way to go indeed with the appeal in order to establish more sustainable sources of revenue funding. "We would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the community for their ongoing generosity and much- needed support towards our target of raising a further £500,000 each and every year." The Living Appeal has raised £180,000 since its launch in March.