Hospice head over wheels with flower cart

Volunteer team with staff from Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale and Springhill Hospice

A group of volunteers have teamed up to help with gardening work and build a flower cart from which Springhill Hospice can sell home grown flowers to help raise funds.

The team members, all aged between 16 and 25, have completed the work at the Hospice as part of the Community Project element of the Prince’s Trust Team programme run by Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale.

Team member Christopher Leonard, aged 23, said: “We have all learnt new skills during our time here. We are all very happy with what we’ve accomplished and I hope Springhill will benefit from our work.”

The team visited the Hospice and chose to volunteer to help improve some of the garden areas and build the cart as their community project. They painted benches, cold frames, bird tables and undertook general gardening duties to help spruce up the outside areas, ready for summer. They also made an old style 'cart', from which the hospice can sell a variety of home grown plants and flowers to help raise much needed funds.

John Johnson, Service manager at the Hospice, said: “The gardens bring a great deal of enjoyment to patients, visitors, volunteers and staff.

"We were very pleased and excited when the team chose the Hospice as their community project. It’s amazing what they have managed to achieve in such a short space of time and to be presented with our very own cart was more than anyone had expected. I would like to thank everyone involved for their effort and commitment.”

As well as carrying out the work the volunteers also raised funds for the project by doing a cake sale and a car wash. 

Gordon Rigg Garden Centre and B&Q also made donations.

Simon Dean, Prince’s Trust Team Leader from Groundwork, added: “I am delighted with the team's efforts, they’ve achieved so much in such a short space of time, the benches and bird tables look new and the cart looks amazing. I hope it helps benefit the Hospice, who have been wonderful to us during our time here.”