The ‘Rainbows Children’s Hospice Garden’ will be a place of relaxation and reflection and will be recreated at the East Midlands’ hospice after the show. It will provide a tranquil place to help parents and staff deal with the extremely emotional day-to-day challenges of working and living with life-limited children.

Alison Cooke, Director of Care at Rainbows Hospice says, “We’ve always wanted to create a garden at Chelsea Flower Show, it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to raise awareness of the important, often unseen, work that goes on at a children’s hospice to make it a happy, positive place.”

The Rainbows Garden will highlight the important role of gardens within children’s hospices, offering adults a space in which they can reflect and contemplate. The UK’s network of 50 children’s hospices, whose main charity body is Together for Short Lives, sees gardens as important areas which enable children and families to have positive memorable experiences and gives them an open space to be during traumatic times.

Barbara Gelb, Chief Executive at Together for Short Lives comments, “We are delighted to open the Rainbows Children’s Hospice Garden during Children’s Hospice Week. As the national charity for life limited children, we hope to highlight the importance of gardens within children’s hospices and raise awareness of the support and services children’s hospices provide. All children’s hospices rely on the generosity of the public to fund care for children and families in need.”

With planting help given by BBC Radio Leicester’s gardening expert Ady Dayman, the garden has been created by designer, Chris Gutteridge of Second Nature Gardens. He is now working hard to ensure everything is ready for the show. He says: “The garden itself will be divided up by large sheets of frosted acrylic which allow light and shapes through – creating shadows and silhouettes. Raised walkways will form the entrance, with trees acting as a ceiling to provide a feeling of enclosure and calmness. A gently rippling water feature will sit next to planting and seating.”

The garden will be situated in the ‘Fresh’ area of the show. Fresh is a brand new area that includes modern, inventive gardens and trade stands offering ingenious new products. To this end, an interactive element in the garden will be provided by students from Leicester’s De Montfort University. A webcam will take pictures of people as they approach the entrance, and, using software that identifies a person’s gender and approximate age, appropriate images will be projected onto the acrylic screens.

Visitors to the world famous show will be able to experience the tranquillity of the Rainbows Children’s Hospice Garden from 22-26 May.

All costs for the garden project have been covered by three generous sponsors from within the hospice’s community. Two anonymous donations and a contribution from PR firm, Arch Communications have enabled Rainbows to enter the Show and, more importantly, bring children’s hospice care to the attention of the nation’s press.

There are all sorts of different gardens at the children’s hospices, wind gardens, sensory gardens, contemplation gardens; these locations are therapy for the families. The sensory environments have huge benefits for children with life threatening or life limiting conditions, helping to support interaction, discovery and communication enabling faster learning and development through increased awareness of their surroundings. Reflections gardens provide a quiet and tranquil location for adults to reflect on their daily challenges or to remember a child in happier times.

Visit Press Page http://www.rainbows.co.uk/rainbows-contemplation-garden-at-chelsea-flower-show/

-       ENDS -

Note to editors:

For more information about the Rainbows Hospice Garden at Chelsea Flower Show, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People or Children’s Hospice Week contact:

Bridget Ballantyne | Communications Officer | E bridget.ballantynel@togetherforshortlives.org.uk | T 0117 989 7863

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Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People has teamed up with  solicitors across Nottinghamshire, Burton, and Leicestershire to encourage people to write or update their will this May.

The Law Society says one in three people in the UK die without having made a will, which is more than 10,000 people in the East Midlands each year.

Patricia Brookes, Rainbows Director of Fundraising, said: “We don’t like to think about lives ending, especially not our own or those of loved ones. If we want to ensure those we care about are adequately provided for, a well considered will is vital.

“People often think that having a will drawn up by a solicitor is expensive, but if you visit one taking part in Rainbows Make a Will Month, it will cost you less than £50 for a simple single will or amendments to an existing will. This offer is only available during May, so it is worth calling soon to make an appointment. We hope that once people have remembered friends and family they will consider leaving a legacy to Rainbows.”

When visiting their chosen solicitor people will have the option of making an immediate donation and/or remembering Rainbows in their will by pledging a set amount or a percentage of their estate. Every donation, large or small, received by Rainbows will help support the children and young people who visit the hospice, as well as their families.

For more info and a full list of solicitors taking part visit http://www.rainbows.co.uk/events/makeawill2012/

Get Involved with Childrens Hospice Week and become a Hero for Rainbows

Children’s Hospice Week is the UK’s only awareness and fundraising week for children’s hospice services. This year’s Children’s Hospice Week takes place from 18-25 May.

With the theme of heroes the charity week will celebrate local children’s hospices like Rainbows which, just like superheroes, are there for people when they need them most.

For more information visit www.childrenshospiceweek.org.uk

Two great ways to make a difference by getting involved with Children’s Hospice Week:

1. Rainbows Walk of Life – Sunday 27 May

Take part in Rainbows walk of life on Sunday 27 May. Run , Jog or Walk 5 or 15 miles starting at Leicestershire County Cricket Club to help raise essential funds for Rainbows.

Last year well over 500 people took part and helped raised over £40,000! We want your help to make this year even bigger and brighter by getting everybody you know involved and getting dressed up as superheroes (optional of course).

Click here for more info

2. Dress up for Superhero Friday – 25 May

You can celebrate Children’s Hospice Week 2012 by taking part in Superhero Friday on 25 May. It’s easy, fun and a great way to make a real difference to the lives of children who are not expected to reach adulthood, and their families.

Superhero Friday can be whatever you want it to be. You can dress as your favourite superhero for the day, hold a hero themed event, or choose to ignore the hero theme altogether and raise money any way you wish. And if Friday 25 May doesn’t suit you, you can take part at any time. Anything goes!

We have a whole heap of fundraising ideas and sponsorship materials to help you plan your event. Click here for a full list of ideas

Your support will help Children like Charlie;

Charlie Butler, age 14

Charlie has been coming to Rainbows for ten years. Belinda, his mother, is a single parent. She says: “When Charlie was younger and I was bringing him up, I always felt that I was the only one who understood him and knew what he wanted. So I struggled alone until Charlie was three when I found Rainbows and people who understand.”

Belinda says: “He can’t do anything by himself. He can’t talk or walk and he is incontinent, so he needs changing frequently. And I can be up half the night when he has fits.

At Rainbows there is a lot going on and lots of children with different disabilities but the atmosphere is so serene. It is so peaceful and makes you feel calm and secure which you don’t get much of when bringing up disabled children.”

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Spring / Summer 2012

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