BUILDING work on a dedicated cancer information and support centre was starting today at Southampton General Hospital.

The state-of-the-art centre will provide information and psychological, emotional and practical support for anyone affected by cancer.

Fundraisers at Macmillan Cancer Relief need to raise £1m to fund the facility, which will be open to people from across the region, including the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire, Dorset and the Channel Islands.

The charity's Appeal for South Hampshire, backed by the Daily Echo, has already seen tens of thousands of pounds raised from a wide range of activities ranging from a schoolgirl's sponsored silence to large company donations.

Now Southampton town crier John Melody, has announced the laying of the first brick for the new centre, situated behind the hospital's eye unit.

Numerous people involved in the project attended to see their dream of a specialist centre beginning to take shape.

Guests at the brick-laying ceremony included Saints star and appeal patron Jason Dodd, centre manager Jac Broomfield and Macmillan radiographer Jo Reeves, who first suggested the idea of an information centre.

Now fundraising must continue at a pace to ensure the project is up and running within a year.

Appeal manager Connie McConachie said: "Four in ten people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, so everyone is affected by cancer in some way.

"The Macmillan support and information centre will help people living with cancer and their families by providing them with appropriate support, such as counselling, benefits advice and complementary therapies and information about cancer at the right time."

For information about how you can help the appeal contact Macmillan Cancer Relief 's regional office on 023 8023 6367.