Horncastle centre volunteers spruce up pirate garden for children at hospice

A green-fingered team from British Garden Centres (BGC) was joined by BBC Radio Lincolnshire gardening expert Jayne Hickling at St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby.

They all volunteered to lend their expertise in sprucing up the pirate-themed garden at the hospice, rolling up their sleeves to carry out essential tidying and maintenance work.

With gloves, shovels and rakes in hand, their weeding and pruning breathed new life into the space, which is a cherished source of joy for youngsters the hospice cares for.

Created by the Greenfingers charity in 2018, the special garden offers a safe and therapeutic escape for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Originally a plain area of grass, it was transformed into a magical pirate adventure, complete with sensitive lighting and a wheelchair-accessible water feature.

BGC, which is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group with 65 across the country, played a vital role in the garden’s creation by generously donating plants.

Michelle Rollinson, chief executive officer of the hospice , said: “We were extremely grateful for the help from the volunteers. All our gardens play a vital role in reducing levels of anxiety and improving wellbeing.”

One of the BGC volunteers was Eve Kerrigan, who said: “We are passionate about Greenfingers' work for children’s hospices. Over the last three years, we have raised £60,000 for the charity and we have a strong bond with it, so we wanted to get our hands dirty and maintain a lovely space.”

Jayne, who is also an ambassador for BGC, said: “The idea of gardening for wellbeing and mental health is important to me. Enabling people who are going through difficult times to have access to green spaces and to get in touch with nature is so important as a way of escape.”

Linda Petrons, from Greenfingers, said the charity was “thrilled to welcome the enthusiastic team of volunteers from BGC” and praised the company’s “incredible ongoing support”.

She added: “The hospice’s pirate garden is a vital oasis for children, their families and staff, creating a precious space to relax, connect and enjoy the outdoors.”