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Exciting WellChild garden project for Scarborough respite centre Willows Lull

A Scarborough respite centre for children with complex health needs now has an exciting outdoor sensory space thanks to a community project organised by WellChild.

By Matt James · July 12, 2019

A Scarborough respite centre for children with complex health needs now has an exciting outdoor sensory space thanks to a community project organised by WellChild.

The WellChild Helping Hands project took place at Willows Lull which provides respite services for children with life-limiting health conditions or complex needs, and support for their families.

Respite is a vital resource for families caring for a child with complex needs, facilities such as Willows Lull are an essential source of support for complex care at home, and can even help to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

The centre has a large front garden which the Helping Hands project has transformed into an accessible, sensory space which can be used by the children and families the centre supports and also as a hub for the local community and network of volunteers who are involved in running and funding the centre.

The new outdoor space will improve life for many children with serious illness and complex needs. This garden will be at the heart of a community which is already working hard to support families who are most in need of a helping hand.

WellChild undertook the three day transformation from July 9th to 11th, with hard working volunteers from the companies Hilti, BCD Travel, Speedy Services and Salesforce. This was a large scale job with as many as 16 volunteers working on the site each day along with WellChild staff. Thanks to West Building Supplies who donated a large amount of building materials required to complete the work. A very special thank you also goes to the grant committee at the Openwork Foundation, for so kindly funding the project and making it a reality for all the children and their families to enjoy.

“The children and families supported by Willows Lull are the very same type of families that WellChild strives to support, and this is a great opportunity for us to collaborate. We are sure the finished garden will be a fantastic addition to the Willows Lull centre and will be well used by the children, their families and others who visit the centre. We would like to thank the hard working volunteers who are donating their time and skills to make this project a reality.”

WellChild Head of Helping Hands Lorna Pedersen