Our garden centre has been part of the local community for over 60 years, so when one of our partners, David Coton, received a request to donate a Christmas tree to a nearby hospice, he had no hesitation in helping them out.
The John Taylor Hospice was founded in 1910 and is located in Erdington, north Birmingham. It currently provides care for over 600 people throughout the West Midlands.
This includes offering expert advice to families, community and day care as well as residential palliative care. Receiving more than two hundred referrals each month, the hospice has been in contact with over 10,000 patients during the past year.
David had personal experience of the hospice's services earlier in the year when his father received their expert care, so this gift meant a lot to him personally.
John Taylor has to channel all available money into caring for their patients, twenty four hours a day, every day of the year. With this costing a staggering £105,000 per week, there's none left over to afford a Christmas tree.
So GardenSite has donated the lovely 8ft Norway Spruce which now stands in the reception area. Now brightly decorated it will be seen by every visitor and patient who enters the building.
At this time of the year our garden centres sell hundreds of natural trees of all shapes and sizes and our customers love these Norway Spruces. There are also many artificial trees available from GardenSite which are impressively authentic with snow and frost decorating their branches.
The tree gives the hospice a real festive feel which is greatly appreciated by everyone, and all their resources can continue to be concentrated on counselling, support and treatment.
If you are interested in donating or raising funds for the John Taylor Hospice, which is a 'not for profit enterprise', please go to their website where you'll find comprehensive information on their services.