Consultancy helps revamp Hinchingbrooke Hospital sensory garden
A consulting firm based in St Ives has donated time and funds to help boost a sensory garden project for Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Pope Woodhead and Associates has worked to help refurbish a sensory garden at the hospital’s children’s unit.
Huntingdonshire-headquartered children’s charity Dreamdrops was established with the aim of raising money to fund extras which are not covered by NHS public funds, but which make a hospital stay more comfortable and less stressful for children and their families, as well as putting funds toward sick children who are being cared for at home. One project the organisation is currently involved in has seen it working with Hinchingbrooke Hospital to revamp a sensory garden and play area for the hospital’s children’s unit.
In spring 2018, Dreamdrops received a donation that will enable it to complete the work, from consulting firm Pope Woodhead and Associates. The consultancy, which is a subsidiary of the Huron group, provides global consulting solutions to the life sciences sector. Each year, the St Ives-based firm runs a programme called ‘Helping Hands’ with each office choosing a charity to donate their time to.
The money put toward Dreamdrops enabled Pope Woodhead employees working under the Helping Hands banner to buy a host of new additions for the children’s facility. These included new plants, herbs, top soil, paint, cleaning materials, tactile tiles, a bird camera, table, new butterflies and ladybirds for the sensory garden and play area.
Louise Jones, operations coordinator, and Cherre Northfield, project coordinator with Helping Hands, said, “Our office in St Ives was excited to be involved and to help Dreamdrops tidy up the garden for the children and their relatives to use. It was our opportunity as a company to connect and give back to the local community.”
Anne-Marie Hamilton, chairman of Dreamdrops, added, “The work the Helping Hands team have done in the sensory garden has transformed the area into a lovely space for children and parent’s to spend time in when staying on the unit. We cannot thank them enough and we are extremely grateful for this kind donation and for all their hard work.”
Related: Aecus raises £3,675 for children charity in Bury St Edmunds.
