A passionate volunteer has led a garden project at Manorlands Hospice, creating a brand new space for patients and families to enjoy.
53 year old Lindsey Smith from Kildwick has volunteered at the Oxenhope-based hospice since the beginning of the year.
Lindsey said: “After I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, I decided I wanted to give something back. Thankfully I am better now, but being ill made me realise how important this type of care is for people. My friend Christine is a nurse at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, so I decided to start volunteering to support the dedicated and hard working nurses.
“After discussions with the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice team, I saw an opportunity to provide the patients, their families and the staff with a much-needed outlet within the garden areas of the hospice. This includes a wheelchair friendly vegetable garden, allowing the patients to do something productive in the outdoors with their families as well as provide fresh produce for the hospice kitchens.
“I work for Sutcliffe Construction and thought it would be a great opportunity for the team to be involved. I took the idea to a meeting and my colleagues absolutely ran with it.
“Seven members of the Sutcliffe’s team ran the Ilkley Half Marathon back in July and managed to raise over £3,000 to pay for the materials required for the project. Very generously, local suppliers also donated materials and 15 team members carried out the work in their own time. It was a brilliant day and was incredible to see the teamwork, care and attention that went into it. The scheme would have cost more than £18,000 if paid for.
“The space will now be used as a herb and vegetable garden and there is also a large table and seating coming in the Spring so patients’ families can spend time there and also staff can sit and have breaks there.
“It feels amazing to be involved in creating a lovely relaxing space for all to enjoy, it’s a very peaceful setting – it gets patients and families outside in the fresh air and gives them a chance to do something therapeutic.
“I’m so proud of what we have achieved – it is lovely to make something like this happen from an idea to reality. It couldn’t have been done without the team at Sutcliffe Construction, and I also want to say thank you to the other suppliers who have supported the project: Merritt and Fryers, Jacs, Veg Trug and Skipton Hire Centre.”
Adam Brunskill, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice said: “On behalf of everyone at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice I would like to say a huge thank you to Lindsey, the team from Sutcliffe Construction and all who supplied the materials as they have helped transform a previously under used part of the grounds into something which compliments our beautiful memory garden and will be enjoyed by many for years to come.”
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