Category: Volunteering

Volunteer gardeners at East Cheshire Hospice are celebrating after earning an accolade at the Britain in Bloom awards.

East Cheshire Hospice received a certificate in the Hospice category at the RHS regional awards.

Judges made their recommendation after touring the remodelled Hospice grounds.

Some of the volunteer gardeners with their RHS certificate.

The space includes a sensory garden, vegetable and herb patch and a memory garden.

The RHS honour is reward for the hard work from gardening enthusiasts who have painstakingly created a lay-out designed to provide a peaceful retreat for patients and visitors.

Volunteers from corporate supporters also helped with digging and preparing the grounds for planting.

Michelle Walker-Brown, the Hospice general services manager, said: “We’re delighted to receive this recognition at the Britain in Bloom awards.

“Every category is highly competitive so to get this acknowledgement from the RHS is reward for the terrific efforts made by volunteers and staff.

“We place great emphasis on sustainability both indoors and outdoors at the Hospice with energy efficiency vitally important.”

The Hospice is undergoing a renovation of its Sunflower Wellbeing Centre, limiting garden design work in that corner of the site. The work is due to finish in the New Year.

The Hospice uses water butts to reduce reliance on mains supplies; grows fruit and vegetables in empty laundry liquid tubs and uses old tyres from Hospice @Home cars for planters as part of its green initiative.

The Hospice featured in the gold award won by Macclesfield at last year’s RHS awards.

Gardening, baking cakes, singing, flower arranging and moving furniture…all to help East Cheshire Hospice.

That is a typical week for volunteers Lawrence and Gail Robinson whose vocation in life is to help others.

The Macclesfield couple are continuing a family tradition.

Lawrence, a retired solicitor, said: “It’s inbred and we’re carrying on from how our parents lived their lives.

“They were very involved in the community and that’s how we see life, helping others, or doing things for them.”

Wife Gail will garden at the Hospice every Wednesday from March 1, as part of the 12-strong group who have already been out planting snowdrops in the new courtyard.

Gail is also a stand-by flower arranger, bakes cakes for coffee mornings and sings in Claritas Choir, which supports the Hospice.

Their next concert is at Packhorse Bowling Club on March 23.

Gail Robinson (second right) with fellow volunteer gardeners in 2021. From left, Mark Reddiough, Pat Dawson, Nev Wardle, Gail and Lindsay Taylor.

Gail also encourages visitors to buy Hospice items at the library charity card shop, while volunteering for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and The Children’s Society at Christmas.

She is a church warden at St John the Evangelist Church, where Lawrence is treasurer and ‘general dogsbody.’ Gail is also a governor at St John’s School.

Gail said: “It’s a full week, especially as I look after my elderly mother and I’m also a guider and advise on diversity and inclusion for Cheshire Border Girlguides.

“We’ve a Brownie and Rainbow arts day coming up and have a deaf Brownie, so I’ll go along and make sure her provision is sufficient.

“I’m also a signer. I was Lay Chaplain for Deaf and Disabled People in Chester Diocese for 18 years, signing at weddings, baptisms, funerals and regular communion services. I also advised churches on accessibility.”

Meanwhile, Lawrence drives furniture vans. He said: “We volunteer to support the work of the Hospice. We’re fortunate we’ve never had a close relative in need of its services, but we’ve lost several friends whose families really appreciated the care.”

Their daughter Nancy was born with arthrogryposis, a rare muscle disorder, though Gail’s interest in disability began as a schoolgirl.

She lived near Seashell Trust, in Cheadle Hulme, when it was a school for the Deaf.

She said: “That got me interested in signing. I wanted to communicate with the kids on swings in the park.

“I learned to finger spell in the brownies and that started my interest in communication with the Deaf.”

* If you are interested in donating a small amount of time to support the Hospice visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/volunteer-with-us/ to find out more.

Carrying furniture and old Christmas trees is essentially Lawrence Robinson’s voluntary role for East Cheshire Hospice.

He is out and about every Saturday on the van run doing the rounds delivering and collecting sofas, settees, tables and chairs. He also fills in on odd weekdays.

The charity generates around £10,000 a month selling recycled furniture donated by the public.

Gail and Lawrence Robinson (right) with fellow furniture volunteer John Butler.

Lawrence said: “It’s hard work, but great fun. Sometimes there’s heavy lifting, so you need to be reasonably fit.

“There’s always two of us and we make every effort to put furniture where people want it in the home.

“We get a job sheet telling us where to go. We either collect furniture donated from homes, or deliver bought items to them.

“We average about five trips a day, and today, for example we’ll pick up a table and chairs from the Poynton shop and take them to Ashton-under-Lyne.

“People appreciate what we do and all the funds raised go to the care of patients.”

He joined the Hospice through his church connections with Richard Raymond, co-founder of the charity’s Christmas tree collection scheme.

Once on the tree team, Lawrence answered a call for furniture volunteers almost three years ago.

He said: “As usual, the tree collection was a lot of fellowship and fun this year. We just try to do our best for people out there who want to support the Hospice.”

* To donate furniture call co-ordinator Toni Walsh on 07917 942273 or email furniture@echospice.org.uk.