Volunteer Gardener of the Year Award

We understand that hospice gardens are treasured spaces which offer immense benefits to staff, patients and visitors.

Each year, the Volunteer Gardener of the Year Award celebrates the invaluable contribution of an individual to their hospice's garden.

Do you have a volunteer gardener at your hospice who uses innovative approaches to enhance your garden? Perhaps someone shows exceptional support and encouragement to other volunteers and staff? They could be an inspiration and role model to others or have made a significant different to the development of your hospice's outside space.

Nominate them for this award and celebrate their outstanding contributions at our National Conference.  

Read our submission criteria and general guidance: 

• Why the person is being nominated?
• How many years have they been volunteering? 
• What is the impact of their commitment? 
• How has their contribution to gardening benefitted patient, staff and visitor wellbeing?
• What did they do exactly?

The winner has been announced at our National Conference in Glasgow.

Time and time again, local people living with a palliative condition at home reported feeling a sense of loss in not being able to care for their gardens and shared how this deeply affected their health and wellbeing. The idea for a Compassionate Gardener programme arose as a response to this feedback.

Gardens are often a place of joy, but they can also be places of solace and sanctuary, especially when grieving or going through challenging times.

In the two years since Compassionate Gardeners started David has been matched with two beautiful mature gardens in Edinburgh. He has made a positive impact on the lives of those to whose gardens he has provided tender loving care; forming bonds of friendship with the husbands around a shared love of gardening and continuing to help the wives, after the deaths of their husbands, reconnect with their gardens.

This year, the winner of the Volunteer Gardener of the Year Award will receive a prize of garden tools of their choice worth up to £400, for use at their hospice.

We would like to thank Webb for their kind donation of this prize.

The Awards Panel agreed Graham’s commitment and impact are outstanding: “We are incredibly grateful that are people like Graham to provide comfort, compassion, and knowledge to people receiving hospice care and their loved ones. The connection between the volunteer gardeners and the therapeutic impact that they have on patients and families is deep and powerful. Well done Graham.”

For many years he was Chair of the Hospice Volunteer Gardening Club and his influence and knowledge can now be seen in established flower beds and the rose garden. He shared his knowledge and enthusiasm with volunteers young and old in local gardening societies, his passion not restricted just to the Pilgrims Hospice gardens. He would also attend hospice and community social events, always immaculately dressed and he featured in the community newsletter – even Monty Don learned from him!

He was a true ambassador for both garden volunteers and volunteering in general and well-liked and respected by his fellow volunteers and staff at Pilgrims Hospice. 

Judges commented, “we feel Arthur is deserving of the Volunteer Gardener of the Year Award in recognition of the significant difference he made to the development and care of the hospice garden over 30 years. He demonstrated strong values and commitment, shared knowledge and passion, inspired and encouraged others”.

Collecting the award on Arthur's behalf was Karen Warden.