Shoosmiths team volunteer in the St Andrews Healthcare Hospital secret garden

A six strong learning and development team volunteered at the St Andrews Healthcare Hospital, Northampton on a rainy day Friday 27 April 2018. The colleagues taking part were Caroline White-Robinson, Katherine Elgenia, Laura Cronin, Jayne Farmer, Shane Smith and Patricia Anglin.

Despite the inclement weather our sterling volunteers worked hard to prepare an allotment in the secret garden ready for hospital patients to begin planting the new season’s fruit and vegetables. It was very much a unused and neglected garden space that needed some TLC but it was something that we could all get our teeth into to turn the area into an ideal place to grow plants. It was also a huge help to the Horticultural Team to get help get the allotment ready, as the patients always enjoy the therapeutic and educational element of planting, harvesting and then eating or sharing the produce that they grow.

Dawn Wright, Voluntary Service Manager at St Andrews Hospital thanked the team. ‘We loved having you on Friday and your generous donation of time and skills has made a real and positive difference to our patients and services. Dan our Horticulture Team Leader couldn’t believe how much we were able to achieve in the timescale and weather and how hard you all worked. You did an incredible job and we are truly grateful to you all.’

Patricia who helped to organise the day explained ‘we couldn’t have found a more worthwhile cause than the wonderful work carried out at the Hospital.’