A HAMPSHIRE children's hospice has reopened following a £4m revamp.

Naomi House near Winchester had closed for two years while the work was taking place.

has been refurbished in a £4m scheme which closed the hospice for nearly two years.

During this time nurses and carers continued their vital service from temporary spaces created within Jacksplace, the hospice for young adults.

Alastair Stewart, the appeal patron, cut the ribbon on the new hospice and welcomed staff, families, supporters and the local media for an exclusive look around the new modern facility.

Around 100 supporters of the hospice’s Caterpillar Appeal, which raised the money, were in attendance and given an exclusive first look at the building.

The refurbishment will ensure the hospice can accommodate the latest equipment and to create new space in which to care for the region’s life-limited and life-threatened children.

Hoists are now placed throughout the hospice building, piped oxygen in every room and a never-before-seen heating system which can maintain precise temperatures in each room, there is also an array of sensory equipment for children with special needs.

The new hospice includes larger bedrooms, additional bathrooms, a new ‘Butterfly’ bereavement suite, spiritual spaces, therapy rooms, sensory room, wheelchair charging points and luxurious accommodation for families.

The garden has also undergone a major transformation and contractors are busy creating a number of distinct spaces within the gardens, including two quiet spaces for peaceful contemplation, a roof garden that is accessed through the hospice’s new spiritual space and a children’s garden that features an enormous wheelchair accessible galleon, water features and play equipment.

Cutting the ribbon at the opening was Alastair Stewart OBE, the charity’s appeal patron.

He was was assisted by three-year-old Mikey Strachan from near Portsmouth.

Mikey’s mother Chevonne Newlands, said: “The problem is going to be to get Mikey to come home, when he comes for his visits.

“He singled out the sensory room, that’s where he’ll be spending a lot of his time when he comes to stay.

"We were very lucky to be able to cut the ribbon today – it’s just going to be brilliant for our family to come here, it will be like going on holiday.

"We’ll finally get to relax.”

Chief executive of Naomi House, Mark Smith, said: "The staff and volunteer team at Naomi House pride ourselves on delivering high quality, compassionate, individualised care to families from across the region and have done so for nearly 20 years."

“The children we serve are now living longer due to increased medical knowledge and technology, and so the complexity of care now required needs a state of the art building and highly trained staff to meet these demands.

“Naomi House is now the most advanced children’s hospice in the region, providing a fully comprehensive hospice service to families, under the guidance of a specially trained Paediatric Palliative Care Consultant and medical team.”