Stewart digs deep to help out hospice

Published on Thursday 11 June 2009 10:14

WHEN Stewart Laurie's wife passed away more than five years ago at an Edinburgh hospice, it was far from the end of his involvement with the facility.

Instead, he used his wife Lena's battle with the illness as an inspiration to embark on a labour of love to give something back to the unit which had been so much help to the couple.

One of the last things his wife did was to pledge his gardening services to the Marie Curie Hospice in Fairmilehead after they both noticed how overgrown and unkempt the garden appeared.

Since then , 74-year-old Stewart has faithfully returned at least once a week to work on the surrounding gardens, and he has almost single-handedly transformed the grounds.

The Craiglockhart man, a former civil servant, said he has no intention of giving up and wants to maintain and develop the work he and a handful of volunteers have taken on.

He said: "At the time my wife volunteered my services to do something about the garden, I didn't know too much about it. I had a lot on looking after her but once she died I was able to put some time into it.

"I've kept coming back so I must have enjoyed it, it makes a real difference to the place.

"Now it means people here can sit in the conservatory and look out on to the gardens. It beats staring at four walls."

Mr Laurie's tireless commitment led to him being given an award by Marie Curie as part of the recent National Volunteer Week.

He added: "It was a nice surprise to be given that. I'd only ever had a bit of an interest in gardening, I do have an allotment, but mainly it was new to me."

Hospice chiefs described the work Mr Laurie – who has three sons – has done over the years as having "transformed" the garden, adding that he was a great example to other volunteers.

Anne Willis, the hospice manager, said: "Volunteers help in so many ways whether it is helping out in the garden, with meals, on reception or as a driver, and this has a significant impact on patients and their families.

"Our volunteers truly deserve recognition."