Community digs deep for palliative care

A GROWING CARE FOR COMMUNITY… From left, GV Health gardener, Andrew Hawks, GV Health Foundation director, Carmel Johnson, SPIIRE landscape architect, Bridget Doyle, Apprenticeship Factory CEO, Paula Ryan, SPIIRE associate landscape architect, Lauren Gillard, SPIIRE landscape architects graduates, Martina Mohenska and Adam Gardner, GV Health chief engineer, Pat Ryan, GV Health director infrastructure, Dylan Hesselberg, SPIIRE landscape architect technician, Peter Britton and SPIIRE business unit manager, Jeramy Blight. Photo: Katelyn Morse.
A GROWING CARE FOR COMMUNITY… From left, GV Health gardener, Andrew Hawks, GV Health Foundation director, Carmel Johnson, SPIIRE landscape architect, Bridget Doyle, Apprenticeship Factory CEO, Paula Ryan, SPIIRE associate landscape architect, Lauren Gillard, SPIIRE landscape architects graduates, Martina Mohenska and Adam Gardner, GV Health chief engineer, Pat Ryan, GV Health director infrastructure, Dylan Hesselberg, SPIIRE landscape architect technician, Peter Britton and SPIIRE business unit manager, Jeramy Blight. Photo: Katelyn Morse.
A GROWING CARE FOR COMMUNITY… From left, GV Health gardener, Andrew Hawks, GV Health Foundation director, Carmel Johnson, SPIIRE landscape architect, Bridget Doyle, Apprenticeship Factory CEO, Paula Ryan, SPIIRE associate landscape architect, Lauren Gillard, SPIIRE landscape architects graduates, Martina Mohenska and Adam Gardner, GV Health chief engineer, Pat Ryan, GV Health director infrastructure, Dylan Hesselberg, SPIIRE landscape architect technician, Peter Britton and SPIIRE business unit manager, Jeramy Blight. Photo: Katelyn Morse.
A GROWING CARE FOR COMMUNITY… From left, GV Health gardener, Andrew Hawks, GV Health Foundation director, Carmel Johnson, SPIIRE landscape architect, Bridget Doyle, Apprenticeship Factory CEO, Paula Ryan, SPIIRE associate landscape architect, Lauren Gillard, SPIIRE landscape architects graduates, Martina Mohenska and Adam Gardner, GV Health chief engineer, Pat Ryan, GV Health director infrastructure, Dylan Hesselberg, SPIIRE landscape architect technician, Peter Britton and SPIIRE business unit manager, Jeramy Blight. Photo: Katelyn Morse.

A NUMBER of local businesses have come together to bring a bit of life to the outdoors and family room of GV Health’s palliative care unit, following a donation made by a local resident, whose wife was taken care of by the nurses in the unit.

Designed by SPIIRE, the therapeutic garden will help to bring a little light into the lives of families in the unit during an otherwise difficult time and includes a shade sail, tree, raised planter box, water feature and bench seats. As part of the donation, the family room that adjoins the new garden also received a refurbishment.

A competition was conducted by local landscaping business SPIIRE and a wonderful proposed garden design was chosen that is a combination of the designs of two landscape architects, Martina Mohenska and Adam Gardner.

Martina and Adam said, “It was really exciting to have had the ability to design something like this and be involved in delivering the project and the best part is it is all for a good cause.”

SPIIRE business unit manager, Jeramy Blight said, “SPIIRE is looking to become more engaged with the community and we are always looking for local projects like this one. We heard about it and it aligns with the values of our company so it resonated with us.

“We’d like to thank the following businesses for their support in the project; The Apprenticeship Factory, Andrew Beks Sprinklers and Landscaping, Norvec Electrical, Kensington Gardens residence workshop, Furphy Foundry, Adornatos Sand and Gravel Supplies, Michel Signs, Surdex Steel, Flourish on McLennan, WB Hunter Home Timber and Hardware, Riverside Gardens, Greater Shepparton City Council, Cleaves Earthmoving and of course GV Health.”

The Apprenticeship Factory CEO, Paula Ryan said, “The Apprenticeship Factory gives back to the community in many ways and being able to put into something that is of such value to the community is really important.”

GV Health Foundation director, Carmel Johnson said, “Last year one of our foundation sponsors lost his wife. His wife was a keen gardener and in order to preserve her memory, the donor resolved to donate the funds needed to create the palliative care garden.

“The donor’s intention was that by creating a peaceful garden the patients and families could spend private time in a tranquil and peaceful setting.”

The garden will be open from November 10.