The Giving Garden Project – a free flower service delivering joy to care home residents across Stockport.
Residents of care homes across Stockport are being treated to a regular delivery of free flowers from The Giving Garden Project after the death of a much-loved grandmother.
Supported by Borough Care for a year, David Tole, 28, set up The Giving Garden project after he visited his grandmother at a Stockport care home and noticed that there were other residents who did not receive many visitors, with some receiving no visitors at all.
David’s grandmother, who sadly passed away last year, left him some money with which he decided to do some good.
David, from Offerton said,
‘‘I thought about how I could brighten up care home residents’ days, which led me to setting up The Giving Garden Project.”
The Giving Garden Project plans to make a lasting impact in the Stockport area and beyond. Its aim is to provide a free flower delivery service to those who need it the most – starting with care home residents.
David’s first step was contacting the Activity Lifestyle Facilitators (ALFs) at Borough Care’s homes. Borough Care is one of the largest not–for-profit residential care providers in the Northwest, with ten care homes across Stockport. David asked the ALFs to select up to five residents per home who receive little to no visitors or who are going through a tough time.
He has already visited four of the group’s care homes in Stockport.
Resident Mavis, showing off her bouquet to her friends at the home, said
“I have never received flowers from a young man before! I am absolutely thrilled.”
Seeing the positive effects that the deliveries were having on its residents, Borough Care contacted David, offering to fund the free flower delivery service for the next twelve months.
Dr Mark Ward, CEO of Borough Care said,
“This is a fantastic project from an amazing young man. At Borough Care, our motto is Life in Colour, and we believe that everyone – regardless of their familial situation – should experience joy in our homes. We are happy to support David through the first year of The Giving Garden Project and know that it will deliver plenty of smiles to residents across Stockport and beyond this year.”
David added,
“Borough Care has gone above and beyond in helping our non-profit so far. We are absolutely over the moon, as I am sure the residents receiving the flowers will be too. I plan to spread this idea to other volunteers around the country who can hopefully do the same in their local town.
“We are looking for local florists, event organisers and convenience stores to kindly donate flowers to us so we can recycle into kindness bouquets.”
To find out more or to get involved, visit https://www.givinggardenproject.org/
