St Helens project team volunteer to support community

Work getting underway on the transformation of St Helens town centre is already bringing benefits to the local community.

In the first of a series of support activities, volunteers from the project team have given the gardens at Willowbrook Hospice in St Helens an Autumnal makeover. VINCI Building, the main contractor, organised the activity and were backed by three subcontractors – Huyton Civils, Ayesa and A&B Engineering.

The volunteers spent a day mowing lawns, pruning trees in Willowbrook’s Japanese Gardens, and clearing away leaves to ensure the safety of residents throughout the Autumn and Winter months, whilst maintaining the beauty and calm that affords residents respite in the colder months.

Willowbrook Hospice, on Portico Lane, Prescot is an independent specialist palliative care unit. It was established in 1993 for the St Helens and Knowsley community and has provided care, compassion since then for over 10,000 patients with a life-limiting diagnosis. The Hospice receives 29% of its running costs from donations and thus relies solely on the community, corporate sponsors and volunteers to provide the rest.

ECF, a partnership between Muse, Homes England, Legal & General is delivering the town centre regeneration project with St Helens Borough Council. The outreach team at VINCI coordinated with the hospice to assess how their hours would be best spent, resulting in collaboration with Willowbrook’s gardening team.

Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager said;

“Social value is a priority on any high-quality regeneration scheme today and certainly central to everything we do at Muse and as part of the vision ECF shares with St Helens Borough Council.  In this case, it’s particularly pleasing as we have local people from local businesses helping an organisation that delivers practical and emotional care to St Helens’ families and individuals dealing with the most profound of issues. Our thanks to VINCI Building Huyton Civils, Ayesa and A&B Engineering.”

Hannah Bailey, Social Value manager at VINCI Building, said;

“Many of the people working on the town centre regeneration scheme come from St Helens. Being local means that, inevitably, some of us have relatives or friends whose lives were touched by Willowbrook. The support they provide for patients and their families in their most difficult days is incredibly valuable. There’s a gentleness to gardens that can give anyone struggling with very difficult issues some a place of respite and having the opportunity to volunteer our time to help maintain peaceful, beautiful gardens is a special honour.”

Alun Owen, Executive Corporate Director from Willowbrook Hospice, said;

“We are very grateful to everyone who came and helped to tidy up our gardens. Our gardens are much enjoyed by our patients and their visitors and even in the winter months there is still a lot of work to do out there. We are always keen to welcome volunteers to the hospice or in our shops to support our colleagues, so please get in touch if you would like to help. It is always appreciated, thank you.”