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We care for 500 in patients and make more than 5,000 home visits a year.
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Beauty of gardens recognised with awards
12 November 2009
The beauty of the gardens at Saint Francis Hospice have been recognised with a quartet of awards at the London Gardens Society Competition including the title London Hospices Garden for the second year running as well as success at Havering in Bloom.
We have won two top prizes of gold medals and certificates for our small garden by the education centre and for the patio and hanging basket displays. And picked up a bronze in the large garden category.
Saint Francis Hospice also won Best Commercial Garden and the judges’ Discretionary Award, which is given to organisations that raise the profile of the borough at Havering in Bloom. In addition the charity received a certificate of excellence from London in Bloom.
Hospice gardener Dave Collins and his team of volunteers were presented with London Gardens Society certificates and the London Hospices Garden Plate 2009 at a presentation evening in Guildhall, London, in October.
Dave, who has worked at the hospice for four years, thanked the volunteers for their support and said: “I’m delighted our hard work has been recognised. The gardens are an important part of Saint Francis Hospice because we recognise the quality of the environment you’re in has a positive impact on your sense of wellbeing and can be calming. That’s so important to our patients and it’s great to know that our prize winning gardens play a part in the care that we provide.”
He explained that his team installed some new features into the gardens this year to impress London Gardens Society judges including tiered planters with colourful orange Million Bells and red begonias at the front of the hospice. “It’s all about the wow factor and what catches the eyes of patients and visitors.
Val Harding, Support Services Manager, said: “I’m thrilled we have won the London Hospices Gardens award for the second consecutive year as well as the Havering in Bloom awards, it’s a real testament to the hard work Dave and his team of volunteers put into maintaining the gardens to a high standard. The team do a tremendous job looking for ways to improve the grounds and we know patients and visitors appreciate them.”
The gardeners are currently developing a greenhouse, which has kindly been funded by a dedicated donation from a family who support the hospice and supported by a bricklayer who gave his time for free. Dave said: “The greenhouse will mean we can prepare hanging baskets earlier and they will bloom quicker, which means they can be enjoyed for longer.”
If you or your business would like to get involved with the award-winning hospice gardens as a volunteer or providing bulbs, plants or equipment please call 01708 753319.
