Building work has started on a facility for young people with long-term health needs at Noble’s Hospital.

An initiative of the Bridge the Gap charity, the ’pod’ is designed for patients aged 16 to 24 with complex, chronic and life-threatening medical conditions, who spend lengthy periods in hospital or need to make frequent visits to Noble’s for outpatient clinics, scans and other appointments.

The initiative has linked Bridge the Gap with Noble’s Hospital and the government’s youth service, with Noble’s providing a location for the ’pod’ and the Department of Health and Social Care paying its running costs.

Bridge the Gap is giving the facility to Noble’s and will fund a youth service project within the hospital, with youth support workers using the facility as their base.

It has received sponsorship for the service from the Sheinberg family.

Presentations on the initiative are being made to nursing staff at Noble’s, who will provide liaison, facilitating visits to the ’pod’ by their young patients and helping them make the most of the experience.

Bridge the Gap trustee Ken Callister said: ’We are delighted that the Manx community is supporting Bridge the Gap and that our vision is becoming a reality. Young people with long-term medical conditions often face repeated or extended in-patient stays and "the pod" is to be the first age appropriate chill-out space for these young people - an environment far removed from that of a clinical ward.’

In November 2016 Bridge the Gap approached several trusts, charities and businesses to ask for support towards the building of the ’pod’.l

The charity thanked the Scheinberg family, The Wooden Spoon, The Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust, Celton Manx Ltd, Kionslieu Farm Estates, Kirby Farm Estates, The Lions Club, Quay Properties, Peel Charity Shops and Co-op Local Community Fund.

Since Bridge the Gap was set up in August 2014 many fundraising events have been held in aid of the charity from ’Rock the Gap’, where young bands raised funds to support young patients to the black-tie ’Excitement of Time’ event held at the home of Dr John Taylor OBE.

In addition to the ’pod’ and youth worker project, Bridge the Gap has also equipped the Teen Zone on children’s ward and have provided entertainment trolleys throughout the hospital for use on adult wards.

A Bridge the Gap spokesman said: ’We are very grateful to TH Colebourn for supplying and fitting the television set in the Teen Zone and their help in creating the bespoke entertainment trolleys. We would also like to thank Inter Continental Management for their sponsorship of three of the entertainment trolleys, each of which are equipped with a television set, games console and laptop.

’We are now finalising the interior fit out of the "pod", the cost of which will be in the region of £20,000.

’This does sound so expensive but everything needs to be of a hospital standard. We are very grateful to Magic Carpets Ltd, who are donating the flooring and Talbot and Son Blinds Ltd, who are donating the blinds.

’We are currently working on plans to create a relaxing courtyard area with outdoor seating. All of this comes at a cost so Bridge the Gap is now on a second fundraising drive and would love to hear from anyone who might be able to offer support.’

The charity also thanked Val Lloyd of Architecture in Mann, the project architect, contract administrator and planning supervisor whose contribution, was "invaluable".