Lady Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, took a tour of the building site of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) new centre, the nook, as the charity named her a new patron.

Eastern Daily Press: Lady Rose talking to R G Carter LTD contract manager William Bishop. Picture: Marc BettsLady Rose talking to R G Carter LTD contract manager William Bishop. Picture: Marc Betts (Image: Archant)

The £10 million project on Pigot Lane, Framingham Earl, started work in November last year and is set to be completed by March 2019 replacing the 26-year-old Quidenham base.

Lady Rose said: 'It's amazing how much work has been done on the site. It's going to be exciting when it is completed, for everyone involved.

'It's an honour to be asked to be a patron and I hope that I will be able to help in anyway that I can for this fantastic cause.'

Lady Rose has supported EACH in recent years hosting A Taste of Norfolk alongside the Marquess of Cholmondeley at their Houghton Hall home in 2016 with EACH royal patron The Duchess of Cambridge in attendance raising more than £400,000 for the nook appeal.

Eastern Daily Press: From left: William Bishop, Lady Rose Hanbury, Sam Loveday, EACH Director of Income Generation, Jane Campbell, EACH Service Manager (Quidenham), Elaine John, EACH Head of Major Supporters. Picture: Marc BettsFrom left: William Bishop, Lady Rose Hanbury, Sam Loveday, EACH Director of Income Generation, Jane Campbell, EACH Service Manager (Quidenham), Elaine John, EACH Head of Major Supporters. Picture: Marc Betts (Image: Archant)

Lady Rose added: 'EACH provides incredible care and support for children and families in our region. It's vital to raise funds every year to continue this, and to build the much-needed new hospice, and I look forward to helping in any way I can.'

She was joined on site by R G Carter's William Bishop who is the contract manager for the site and staff from EACH.

Mr Bishop said: 'It is nice to see people interested in the site and we feel privileged to be involved with the project especially with it being for a really good cause. It's not often we get projects like this and it is a really good one to be on.

'Due to various reasons we are a few weeks behind - we had a few challenges with cold weather from the Beast from the East but we are progressing well.'

In June Lady Rose is hosting a private viewing of a Damien Hirst exhibition. In November last year the country house hosted an evening of discussion between Mary Beard, Cambridge classics professor, and Tim Knox, Director of Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum, raising more than £3,000.

The nook appeal total currently stands at £7,935,818.