Hinchingbrooke Hospital celebrates official opening of special garden to help those who have lost a loved one

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 17/08/2017

A special garden designed to help those who have lost a loved one has now been officially opened following a grant from Central England Co-operative Funeralcare.

Dennis Easton Funerals, based in St Ives, handed over £1,500 to Hinchingbrooke Hospital as part of an effort to help create the bereavement garden.

The donation came from the Eastern Membership and Community Council to ensure that the area was as perfect as possible for those who need to use it.

Funeral Director Brendan Smith was the driving force behind securing the donation for the hospital.

He said: “We are proud to be part of the community in which we serve and we jumped at the chance of being able to help this great project.

“We managed to secure a donation of £1,500 and the money has been spent on plants, pots, seating, artificial turf and a host of features for the walls that surround the garden.

“The money has also helped to pay for a wishing well and a gate to ensure that people using the garden have as much privacy as they need.

“Colleagues from Dennis Easton and Lynsey Walton, from Huntingdon Co-operative funeralcare, also helped plant up the garden and give it a good spruce up.

“Fellow Funeral Director Darren Barker also helped out by lending his creative skills to craft a colourful wall mounted tree, where bereaved families can place ribbons and wooden hearts to remember their loved ones.

“We are pleased to have been part of this project and to have been part of something that offers a little extra solace to people who have lost a loved one.”

The bereavement garden was officially opened with a special ceremony involving local dignitaries including representatives from Central England Co-operative Funeralcare.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital offers care to people across Cambridgeshire.

A spokesman from the hospital said: “The butterflies and angels garden is a calm space for relatives and friends facing the challenges that bereavement brings.  It offers a peaceful area for quiet reflection.

“It is the result of a great deal of hard work and generosity from staff at the hospital, as well as the Central England Co-op Funeralcare and local garden centres.  We are very grateful to them all and hope many people will find peace and comfort here.”

Karen Ball, Member and Community Relations Officer, said: “The Co-operative has a long tradition of giving back to the community, and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives and education of local people.

“It is really important to have strong links with the local community and I am proud the Eastern Membership and Community Council were able to support the bereavement garden at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.”

Central England Co-operative offers a wide range of educational and recreational workshops and classes for its members and communities. If you are interested in finding out more, please pop in to your local Central England Co-operative food store or email member.community@centralengland.coop

Notes to editors

Picture caption: Representatives from Central England Co-operative Funeralcare were on hand to help officially open a newly created bereavement garden at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop