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Our volunteers are the backbone of our community
Without our volunteers we wouldn’t be able to do all the great things we do. They meet regularly to plan the fundraising events and support groups we provide. Not only does it help them to feel support in terms of friendship and a unique bond, it allows them to raise awareness and have a real sense of empathy when it comes supporting others.
Fundraising
After Nori passed away, we really wanted to say thank you to all the incredible staff that helped us create the most precious memories, and to us a card and a box of chocolates just weren’t enough.
We raised just under £1000 for the neonatal unit (Basingstoke) and decided to put it into revamping their garden. We spent a lot of time out in the garden with Nori during the day, she was able to feel the breeze and the sun on her little face. She really enjoyed being outside and would instantly relax and fall asleep as soon as we went out there.
But another reason why the garden became such a special place for us was because of the escapism. It was an escape from the beeping machines, the sound of happy families and a calm before the storm we knew was coming for us. In other ways, this garden kept us as sane as possible in our circumstances.
I mentioned this to my dad, who then enlisted his darts team to come along and help out. The revamp was very much needed as the space had become so overgrown and unused during the pandemic.
So on a rather hot day in the middle of August, my team of 10 got to work at de-weeding, cutting back the bushes, painting the fence, adding gnomes and decorating the garden, planting new flowers, repairing and repainting the two existing memorial benches, and then installing a purple bench of our own in memory of Norianwe.
I hope that in doing this for the neonatal unit, others can appreciate a space that became so special to us and that it can hopefully help other parents and families deal with their time on the neonatal ward with a little more ease.
We visit the garden every year on all Norianwe’s special dates to add something new, and I am always spotting something duck related in the shops that I just have to buy for them. The Basingstoke Neonatal Unit became our home, and the staff became our family, and there is nothing in this world that we can do to show them how incredible they are and how much we want to thank them for making Norianwe’s life and journey so magical right till the very end!
