Together for Short Lives
Call the Helpline 0808 8088 100

The Duchess of Cambridge helps plant garden for EACH in Children’s Hospice Week

News and comment

In Children’s Hospice Week, The Duchess of Cambridge joined families from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices to plant a garden at The Nook, one of EACH’s purpose-built hospices near Norwich. Marking the end of Children’s Hospice Week, The Duchess also met with staff from EACH’s care and facilities teams to thank them for the incredible work that they do.

Using plants bought during her visit to Fakenham Garden Centre last week, The Duchess worked alongside an EACH volunteer gardener, staff and two families to help create a space that would provide enjoyment for children and families, using sensory plants such as lavender, bay and rosemary. The garden also contains strawberry plants, herbs, geraniums and hydrangeas in a calming lilac colour scheme.

In a message from The Duchess about Children’s Hospice Week, she said:

“This Children’s Hospice Week, I’d like to thank the amazing staff for all the work that you do in children’s hospices around the UK. The care and the nurture that you provide children and families in the most unimaginable circumstances is just awe inspiring.”

I’d also like to pay tribute to all those families out there who are caring for and looking after a child with a life limiting illness. You do the most extraordinary job and I know it’s particularly hard at the moment so my thoughts go out to you all.

The Duchess of Cambridge

Andy Fletcher, CEO for Together for Short Lives, thanked The Duchess of Cambridge for her support for Children’s Hospice Week:

“The Duchess of Cambridge, as Royal Patron for EACH, has been a fantastic ambassador for seriously ill children and families and the lifeline children’s hospices that they rely on for so many years. Children’s Hospice Week is especially poignant this year, and families have felt isolated and alone and need the support of their local children’s hospice more than ever. The Duchess’s support, thoughts and message for Children’s Hospice Week mean the world to both the families we support and children’s hospices across the UK.”

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and supports their families. Their care service includes specialist nursing care, symptom management nursing, short breaks, wellbeing activities, therapies, counselling and volunteer services in the family home; all meeting the individual needs of the child, young person and whole family.

Throughout the pandemic EACH has continued to deliver end of life and emergency crisis care as well as bereavement support. They have also adapted their services to support families by phone and online.   The Duchess has been Royal Patron of EACH since 2012 and attended the official opening of The Nook in November last year. Last week she joined The Duchess of Cornwall in a call with their children’s hospice patronages to mark the start of Children’s Hospice Week 2020.

Leave a comment