HOW WE HELP

WHAT IS A GREENFINGERS GARDEN?

A Greenfingers Charity garden can be many things – an area for play, exploration, therapy, reflection, relaxation and often quite simply space where children who spend time in hospices, along with their family, friends and carers can spend time together, in a safe and protective environment.

The belief that, for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, time spent outside in a natural environment can be enormously beneficial is at the heart of the work Greenfingers does.  We work closely with each hospice, to design and build a scheme that will suit their needs and the needs of the children who spend time there.

A THERAPEUTIC, SOCIAL SPACE…

• Built for everyone – hospice children, their families and hospice staff, to spend precious time outside together, enjoying the therapeutic benefits of nature
• Designed to create a moment in time – creating memories away from the rigours of daily hospice care
• To suit the needs of the hospice – whether it’s quiet space, a space for relaxation, reflection, therapies, play, socialising, learning, growing, and remembering

DESIGNED TO BE INCLUSIVE…

• Enabling everything in the garden to be wheelchair accessible
• Designed with age and special needs in mind
• Created with help from the community (companies, volunteers, gardening clubs)

DESIGNED UNIQUELY FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL HOSPICE…

• Starting with the hospice’s wish list and aspirations which reflect the needs of the children and families they care for, as well as the hospice staff
• Where possible, involving the children who spend time in the hospice

PROFESSIONALLY BUILT TO LAST…

• Using qualified and experienced designers and landscapers
• Created to be safe, sustainable, durable, innovative and to ensure the gardens can be enjoyed throughout the seasons
• Designed within each hospice’s own ability to maintain the garden using their own gardening volunteers
• Designed and built using local skills and materials sourced locally where practical

SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE…

• Supporting and, where possible, improving the site's ecology and wildlife habitats.