THE founder of Prospect Foundation, who is terminally ill with cancer, has baptised his only great-grandson at the Wroughton hospice.

The Rev Derryck Evans, a 78-year-old Methodist minister, has been an in-patient there for more than a month.

But on Saturday he christened Mateo, aged seven months, the first child of his grandson Liam Evans Ford and his wife Hester.

"It was a very special thing for him to be able to do," said his daughter Ceri Evans Ford.

"Especially as he had conducted the wedding ceremony for Liam and Hester in November 2006."

Derryck, retired local government officer Bill Cairns and a small voluntary committee of doctors, nurses, health administrators social workers and clergy, set up the hospice as a home care organisation in 1980.

The in-patient hospice at Wroughton opened in April 1995.

Ceri Evans Ford described it as "a sad but wonderful occasion" and paid tribute to its staff.

"They made it possible for the baptism to take place there," she said.

"We decided on Thursday night that it would be a good thing to do and by Friday morning it was nearly all in place.

"They were so supportive. A buffet, a cake and Buck's Fizz were all ordered and we didn't have to do anything."

Derryck's wife Marion, daughters Judith, Ceri, Stephanie and Joanne and son Simon, and their partners, were joined by his 13 grandchildren at the ceremony.

"The staff were constantly attentive," Ceri said.

The Rev Mike Deacon from Swindon's non-conformist Central Church, where Derryck has been a minister, also gave what she described as "fantastic support."

"I can remember when we were teenagers Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of St Christopher's Hospice, coming to the house and dad getting quite excited about what Prospect could be.

"It has fulfilled his hopes.

"It has shown that there's hope and there's life, even now."