Duchess of York in Southampton for Teenage Cancer Trust launch

The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson will this morning do the honours as she unveils a plaque at the new Teenage Cancer Trust’s state-of-the-art facility in Southampton General Hospital.

Residents raised an incredible £2.4m to support the charity’s vision as part of a Daily Echo-backed fundraising campaign.

The unit will serve Hampshire, Dorset, the Channel Islands, South Wiltshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex, where each year around 100 young people will be confronted with the news they have cancer.

In the past these young patients have been treated either on a children’s ward or adult ward alongside elderly patients.

Now 16 to 24-year-olds will have somewhere suited to their needs with a home from home feel and where they can speak with fellow patients their own age and get advice and support.

Eight months in construction, the £2.4m ten bed unit is designed to give patients the best possible care, support and access to treatment with a team of specialist doctors, nurses and support staff.

The six inpatient en-suite bedrooms have sofa beds for family and friends to stay overnight and there are four day care beds.

Designed in conjunction with former young cancer patients, it also includes a large social room for young people to play pool, listen to music, play games consoles or watch films, a kitchen and lounge.

Since the campaign began in 2007, fundraisers have done everything from English Channel swims to mammoth cycle rides to make the dream a reality.

Pupils at Priestlands School in Lymington even broke a record for the most people standing on one leg.

But Teenage Cancer Trust says it continues to need the public’s support to keep the unit going and fund staff.

To get involved email beth.bartlam@teenagecancertrust.org, call 07943 923549 or log on to teenagecancertrust.org.uk.