A weekly newspaper has launched a fundraising appeal to help a local hospice build a £1m extension.

The North Wales Weekly News is supporting St David’s Hospice in Llandudno in its campaign to raise the funds needed to transform its facilities.

Under the project, the hospice wants to open more palliative care beds, provide more private rooms and create a training facility in end-of-life care.

The paper is urging readers to dig deep in backing the project, which comes after a previous campaign by the title in 2004 which helped ensure the hospice’s survival.

An article in the paper to launch the appeal said: “The last time we asked Weekly News readers to help a St David’s Hospice appeal, you responded magnificently – and we’re asking you do it again.

“In 2004, Weekly News readers could take much of the credit for helping secure a £480,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Government which allowed the facility to continue and expand its vital work.

“At the time grateful hospice chiefs said that, without this newspaper’s vigorous campaign in support of their application and the fantastic response of our readers who dipped deep into their pockets to boost the charity’s funds, its survival would have been at risk.”

The hospice has since expanded its services to terminally-ill patients and hopes to do this further with the building of a new extension, which it plans to invite tenders for in September.

Hospice chairman Gladys Harrison said: “We are expanding and developing our services in response to need.

“We want to take the number of palliative care beds we have from 11 to 14 and to do away with a four-bed ward and replace it with private rooms.

“Since the hospice opened 11 years ago, expectations have changed. Wards were the norm then, but the feedback we’ve been getting from patients and their families is that they would like a greater degree of privacy and this is what we wish to provide.”