Two Projects Shortlisted for Regional RICS Awards 2024

Two LSI projects have been shortlisted at regional levels for the 2024 RICS Awards.

The new Priscilla Bacon Lodge has been shortlisted in the East of England Awards, whilst the Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre has been shortlisted in the South East Awards; both for the Community Benefit category.

Regional ceremonies will be held during May and June, where winners of each category will be put forward as a finalist to compete at October’s national event.

The Priscilla Bacon Lodge is a £12.5M state-of-the-art Hospice building in Norfolk, replacing Priscilla Bacon Hospice’s previous facilities which were no longer fit for purpose. A charity-funded project, the new Hospice building is a culmination of the remarkable generosity of fundraisers and organisations from Norfolk and beyond, and support from an army of volunteers. The new building means more people will receive the best possible end-of-life care at the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge, as it will provide increased choice and access to the specific services they require when they need them.

In addition to 24 inpatient beds, a day unit, and a well-being centre, the Lodge will act as a hub for community-based services, enabling people to receive care in their own homes. The building also houses office space for the charity’s head office and administrative functions, and a café provides a welcoming space with the generated income going straight to the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity.

Charlotte Shawe, Specialist Palliative Care Pathway Lead for Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust said: “The clinical team are thrilled to deliver care in the new Priscilla Bacon Lodge and know that the new facility will make a fundamental difference to patients and their families on their palliative and end of life journey.”

The Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre in Kent is an integrated health and wellbeing hub providing much needed treatment facilities including GP services and day care facilities, as well as minor procedures. The building responds to the increased demand for healthcare services due to the growing population in Edenbridge, replacing services which had become unfit for purpose and unable to support future service models.

The new £13.5M centre has been designed to put the health and wellbeing of local people and their community first whilst also responding to the clinical needs of a modern primary healthcare building. The identity of the new Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre sets itself apart from the traditional view of what a NHS building should look like, with a building form designed to help raise people’s spirits and enrich the existing environment, that helps nurture a sense of place with a clear identity.

Mairead McCormick, chief executive of the Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are really proud. The centre is a shining example of supporting people to manage their health, stay well and be part of the community, while delivering care, closer to home.”