(Image: Submitted)
A wildlife presenter helped open a new remembrance garden in memory of children and young people who have died.
Chris Packham, the well-known broadcaster and conservationist, visited Martin House Children’s Hospice in Boston Spa to officially open the Garden of Memories.
This garden of reflection and remembrance is designed to support bereaved families by giving them a peaceful, dedicated space to remember their loved ones.
Chris Packham, left, visited Martin House Children's Hospice, where he helped to officially open a new remembrance garden. (Image: Submitted)
Mr Packham said: "It’s been an amazing afternoon. Martin House is absolutely astonishing.
"To make such a positive difference to people’s lives, when those lives were at their most fragile, is absolutely heart warming.
"And to have a garden like this that everyone can use is another remarkable asset in what is a truly remarkable place."
Chris Packham at Martin House Children's Hospice where a new remembrance garden has been created. (Image: Submitted)
Before the opening ceremony, Mr Packham toured the hospice, learned about its specialist palliative care and bereavement support services, and spoke with families about their experiences.
Martin House supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions each year as well as their families.
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The Garden of Memories was created with input from Martin House’s Bereaved Parent Advisory Group and care teams, ensuring it meets the needs of those it serves.
It is open to families at any time and includes interactive elements inspired by therapeutic stories such as The Hare-Shaped Hole and The Invisible String.
Some features were created by siblings through the Memory Makers Project, funded by Hospice UK’s Dying Matters Community Grants Programme.
A Letters to Loved Ones post box is also part of the garden; it was funded by Amardeep Sirha and Theo Morris in memory of their son Simba, and they posted the first letter during the opening ceremony.
Amardeep Sirha and Theo Morris funded a Letters to Loved Ones post box in memory of their son, Simba and posted the first letter during the opening of the Garden of Memories. (Image: Submitted)
In a joint statement, they said: "Bringing people together was such a special part of who Simba was.
"We wanted to fund this post box in his memory so that something created in his name could continue offering comfort and connection to others.
"Grief does not end, and neither does the relationship we have with our children. There are always more words to say, more memories to share and more love to give.
"We hope this will give families a simple, private and meaningful place to leave those words.
“Having somewhere in the Garden of Memories where we can return, write to him and feel connected means so much. It has been created in Simba’s name, but it is there for every child and every family who needs it.”
Vicki Greensmith, director of clinical services at Martin House, said: "The Garden of Memories has been shaped by the families who will use it, so it was important that they were at the heart of opening it.
"When a child dies, our support for their family doesn’t end. This garden gives families another place at Martin House where they can spend time, remember and feel close to their child."