52 APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE!
M
embers will know that, for several years now, we have worked with St. Francis
Hospice to continually raise funds for them but also to help in small - but important - ways with their facilities. One such project we took on about 4 years ago was to revitalise the main pond in their gardens adjacent to the patients wards, but something which had been ne- glected as a result of their own 'pressures' to direct resources into more front-line activities. This pond has been in use for many years. In fact, it feeds to and from what is known to be an ancient 'ducking pond' the other side of their wall, forming a part of the Havering atte Bower Greenland. It had received some small upgrades over the years but the planting had become overgrown, the fish were poorly tended and generally the whole area was in real need of some 'tender loving care'. A working party of Rotarians was organised to handle the 'labouring' aspect, but there re- mained the problem of how to deal with the upgrade of the pond itself without (a) spending a lot of money and (b) in a way which could be deemed as right and proper to return it to the original aim of it being an attractive and restful part of the lovely gardens surrounding the hos- pice.
Enter our motor-bike friends above F
or a number of years I had shopped at LATCHFORD FARM as I have a small
pond myself and I found them to be the best suppliers of my small needs. During that time I had become friendly with the owners Peter and Julia Rhodes - picture above in all their glory -
and one day I plucked up the courage to ask for their advice as to how we could best go for- ward. To my surprise their immediate response was to tell me that Julia's Mum had benefitted from the care and attention there during her own period of need, and they were only too pleased to offer their help to us. Game on.
P
eter quickly visited the pond with me, di- agnosed the need for some pumps, water
plants and a number of changes that should be made to bring the pond back to life. An agree- ment was made for him and I to visit the pond together, when Peter donned some very fetch- ing waterproof gear with which to enter the pond and do all the hard and intelligent work whilst I was allowed to take pictures and gen- erally offer encouragement (I didn't have any- thing else to say, really, as he was the only one who knew what he was doing). In fact, Peter needed to make several visits to the pond over a period of time, and I can only say that his knowledge, guidance, generosity and willing 'work' has now resulted in what is a very much loved place for both patients and relatives to sit and rest.
O
ur club has paid Peter for some - but not all - of the pumps and fittings, etc. which
have been used over the past 4 years or so. Pe- ter and his wife have continued to be very sup- portive and I know he will continue to help us - and the Hospice - for the foreseeable future in the knowledge that this work is part of the con- cept of 'service above self'. I look forward to working with them on another - secret - project for the benefit of our club this coming year - watch this space......
Story & Photo supplied by Jim Haines
52
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