A HAMPSHIRE hospice is set to receive a total of £850,000 from a charity set up in memory of former Saints chairman Leon Crouch.

The Oakhaven complex at Lymington has already been given £550,000 by the Leon Crouch Foundation - and the charity has pledged to donate a further £300,000.

The money is on top of the £50,000 Mr Crouch left to the facility in his will.

The industrialist, a former patron of Oakhaven, spent the last few days of his life at the hospice before dying aged 70 in September 2019.

A cheque for £550,000, which will enable the site to expand its services, was presented by Mr Crouch's three daughters, Hannah Leonardi, Lara Crouch and Louise Roles.

Daily Echo: Mr Crouch's three daughters present a cheque for £550,000 to Oakhaven Hospice.Mr Crouch's three daughters present a cheque for £550,000 to Oakhaven Hospice.

Hannah said: “Oakhaven always remained a cause very close to our father’s heart. Therefore it was a fitting place for him to spend his last few days.

“It gives me and my sisters great pleasure to make this donation so that Oakhaven may continue to touch the lives of so many local people.

“We feel incredibly proud of our father’s commitment to helping others beyond his lifetime – even in death he was thinking about how he could continue to help the town that he grew up in and loved.”

READ MORE: Former Saints chairman Leon Crouch dies aged 70

Oakhaven's chief executive, Andrew Ryde, added: "We are incredibly grateful to Leon for his contribution to the hospice.

"This funding will help towards increasing our bedded provision to ensure we can continue to meet the need for end-of-life support as well as helping to develop a dedicated education facility to support carers and healthcare professionals to provide the best care for all."

Since the presentation Mr Crouch's family have pledged to make a further donation of £300,000 to bridge a gap in funding.

Daily Echo: Mr Crouch was a former chairman of Saints and used some of his own money to keep the club afloat.Mr Crouch was a former chairman of Saints and used some of his own money to keep the club afloat.

Mr Crouch was a lifelong Saints fan and paid around £1.6m to buy a significant stake in the club in 2006.

The following year he became acting chairman and then chairman, serving until the end of the 2007/08 season.

He is credited with keeping Saints afloat, dipping into his own pocket to pay wages and other overheads after they went into administration in 2009.