THE Hospice in the Weald has benefited from the Tesco Bags of Help community grant scheme with the opening of a summer house in its picturesque grounds in Pembury.
The project was funded by the 5p carrier bag charge. Jane Rabbetts, Tesco Pembury’s Community Champion, said: “What a wonderful place to sit and relax with family and friends, listen to the radio, have a cup of tea or just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful gardens.
“The entire interior has been made and found by a very special lady who was there with homemade cakes, hot and cold drinks.”
The inspiration behind the new facility is Jo Yardley, who sourced second-hand and discarded items and renovated them to furnish the interior very tastefully.
Grace Rutland, a fundraiser at the charity, said: “At Hospice in the Weald we always put patients, their families and carers first.
“The new summer house, set in the beautiful Hospice gardens, provides another peaceful spot for patients, their families and carers to relax and spend time together
“We worked hard to decorate the summer house, up-cycling goods to ensure the interior is a comfortable place and the best value for money.”
AAJ, a resident at Hospice, said: “I love the summer house. My friend and I sat on the summer house veranda for over two hours the other day. It’s so peaceful. I never thought a hospice would be like this.”
Bags of Help has developed since its inception, with the amount of funding for each project being reduced to enable greater numbers of smaller groups to take part.
The beneficiaries are chosen by customer votes over a two-month period, each project receiving a sum depending on the amount of voting tokens it receives.
Other schemes have supported the TN2 Allotments in Sherwood and helped furnish the outside areas at Temple Grove School and Oakley School.
