A £1 million fundraising campaign launched by Wolverhampton’s Compton Hospice to pay for its major transformation has been extended another 11 months, it was revealed today.

Bosses at the charity say slower than expected contributions from members of the public and local businesses have hit them hard.

The £1m appeal was due to finish in May. Today it emerged just £400,000 has been raised so far with just four months remaining. It will now continue until April 2012

The money will go towards a £3.5m refurbishment of patient facilities at the Compton Road West site, due to be completed in May.

Head of fundraising Sue Chance said today: “We have struggled to achieve our capital appeal in the time that we first set out. We had hoped to raise £1m by May.

“We have raised £400,000 so far and it looks unlikely we will reach our target by then. We now hope to be at £500,000 come May.”

She added the recession had been the main factor behind slower than expected contributions.

“It has been hard to get money from people,” she said. “We are struggling with corporate business donations as well.

“When they are making redundancies they cannot afford to give money to charity.”

Eighteen single, en-suite patient rooms are being built at the Compton Road West site, as well as improved day care facilities and better consulting and therapy areas for a range of treatments including physiotherapy. Patients at the hospice were transferred to the Nuffield Hospital, in Tettenhall, at the start of August to allow the large-scale revamp to begin.

The work is being carried out by Birmingham-based developers E Manton Ltd.

Work started on the redevelopment of the interior of the main patient building in August.

Mrs Chance added building work was on schedule. It is due to open in June.

A newly-refurbished coffee shop was reopened at the site in October as part of the improvements.  New furniture, lighting and carpets were installed at the café. The hospice was opened by the Duchess of Kent in November 1982 and it costs more than £5m a year to provide services to patients.

It provides palliative care for around 1,500 people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. Patients come from Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, South Staffordshire, East Shropshire and Sandwell.

The Government has pledged £496,000 to the £3.5m revamp and the rest of the funds have been allocated from hospice reserves.

The hospice had to raise just under a third of the cost of the redevelopment.

Compton Hospice is organising various events to raise money for the refurbishment. Upcoming events include a black tie charity ball at Wolverhampton Racecourse. The Final Furlong ball is on March 26.