WE'RE half way there already! In just a few months a Daily Echo-backed appeal to raise £1m to fund a cancer information and support centre at Southampton General Hospital has hit the £500,000 mark.

Fundraising events and donations from groups and individuals have raised an incredible £503,000, allowing building work to start on the project.

Now a second drive is under way to raise the remaining half of the cash needed by Macmillan Cancer Relief for the state-of-the-art centre, which will provide support for hundreds of people living with cancer.

Appeal assistant Vanessa Eden said: "We are absolutely delighted to have hit the half-way stage. Our thanks go to everyone who has helped us get this far."

Vanessa said the centre - which should open early next year - would help family and friends as much as cancer patients themselves.

"Many callers to the office have said that when they are told they have cancer they have so many questions like how will they pay the bills or how do they tell their children," she said.

"They don't want to be sent away with a leaflet. They want to be able to talk to someone who can give them the right answers.

"This centre is a much-needed resource for the whole community. As well as those living locally in south Hampshire, the centre will support those living on the Isle of Wight, parts of Dorset, Wiltshire and in the Channel Islands."

When built, the centre will offer a homely atmosphere, designed to be in complete contrast to the stark wards and cold hospital corridors so often associated with cancer care.

Facilities will include complementary therapies, support groups, information leaflets, Internet access, Macmillan staff, stylish wigs and headgear and advice about patient grants and state benefits.

As well as cancer patients and their loved ones, the centre is also expected to serve as a useful resource for hospital staff and health workers in the community.

In May, the Daily Echo gave its official backing to the project by naming Macmillan Cancer Relief's South Hampshire Appeal as the newspaper's charity of the year.

To find out how you can help, contact Macmillan Cancer Relief on 023 8023 6367.