Canon team joins Mersey Care volunteers and staff to revamp outdoor space and create garden memorial
Willow House recently welcomed a team of dedicated volunteers for a special garden transformation day aimed at creating a calming outdoor space for patients, families, and staff. The project focused on enhancing the grounds to provide a peaceful, reflective environment for those who use the specialist dementia diagnostic services provided at Willow House.
The newly revitalised garden offers a valuable retreat where patients and their loved ones can relax, recharge, and reflect—something particularly meaningful in a setting where individuals are often coming to terms with life-changing diagnoses.
A central feature of the garden is a thoughtfully created memorial area in honour of Toni Moore, a much-loved member of Willow House staff, who sadly passed away last year. Toni meant a great deal to her team, and over the past year, they have lovingly collected items, ideas and donations, with the hope of creating a lasting tribute in her memory.
At the heart of this tranquil space, a beautiful memorial sundial funded by our charity has been installed beside a newly planted willow tree. This peaceful corner of the garden now offers a serene place honouring Toni’s legacy, in a way that will be cherished for years to come.
The transformation would not have been possible without the incredible support of volunteers from Canon, who kindly donated their time as part of their company's volunteering day programme. They rolled up their sleeves and got involved in every aspect of the work—from painting benches and planting flowers to jet washing paths, tidying borders, and installing new garden accessories and features.
Also joining the effort were members of our regular Mersey Care gardening volunteer team, Willow House staff and our charity team. Special thanks also to the team at Informatics Merseyside who work closely with Canon and who supported in documenting the day and capturing the transformation with a series of photos. It was a true team effort, and the results were nothing short of spectacular.
Assistant Occupational Health Therapist, Joy Cropper, who was a driving force in organising the day as well as shaping the vision for the garden was incredibly moved throughout the day and when viewing the final result as the tools were packed away.
“The day went wonderfully well, and all of the volunteers worked so hard,” she said. “Everything I had in mind they accomplished. The garden looks amazing and was used the very next day by our patients. The staff at Willow House couldn’t believe the transformation, all within the same day, and absolutely love it. Thank you so much for to all involved: the Canon team, the Mersey Care volunteers and Mersey Cares – myself and all our team are truly thankful.”
Highlights of the day included the creation of a dedicated seating area, complete with freshly painted benches and decorative potted plants. Water features were installed to further enhance the tranquil atmosphere, while hanging ornaments gently danced in the breeze of the trees around the garden.
A large stone planter was transformed into a striking focal point using decorative stones, solar ornaments, and soft lighting, which will gently illuminate the garden as dusk falls.
Client Service Manager at Canon, Colin Wood, who approached us earlier in the year about volunteering for Mersey Cares, said:
“Myself and the Canon team had a great day, helping out and being part of creating a wonderful space for the future. We all thoroughly enjoyed giving up our time to give back as part of our social value program at Canon.
Seeing people’s faces on how the garden had transformed made the day truly worthwhile and again something that people can enjoy for years to come.
We will definitely continue our support to the Trust and look forward to helping you with other projects in the future.”
The garden transformation is the second we've been able to support in the last year and is another great example of the magic that can happen when a community comes together.
Charity Lead, Joanne Watson, commented:
“On behalf of Mersey Cares Charity, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who supported our volunteering gardening day at Willow House. It has made such a huge difference in brightening up the outdoor space and creating a welcoming environment for peace and contemplation for all who visit. It will be incredibly appreciated by service users as well as the staff who care for them.”
