Memories of our Martlets gardens

Memories of our Martlets gardens

Chris, a patient on our inpatient unit, has taken some wonderful photos of our Hospice gardens. We are sharing them here as we say goodbye to our current hospice building and grounds.

Chris had a wedding photography business for many years and still enjoys taking photos. His wife Sheree tells us why he felt inspired to photograph Martlets’ gardens:

“We knew about the gardens because my dad was a patient at Martlets 16 years ago, and he enjoyed the gardens here before he died. We knew that the plants would’ve matured all these years later and so Chris brought his camera in with him to take some photos. Chris had a photography business for years – weddings and all sorts of things. He remembered the gardens here being beautiful and he’s managed to walk around and take some photos of the trees and flowers and the fox cubs that live nearby.

Foxes in the grass

Chris has had marvellous care here on the inpatient unit. All the staff are very kind. Our little granddaughter loves to play outside his room around the plants and trees and she noticed the snail sculpture out there from the art trail. We went along to Snailspace a couple of years ago when all the Snails were on display around Brighton, so that it was nice for her to see one of those Snails here in the grounds.”

Be More Snail on our garden

Martlets on the move

Martlets has been at the heart of Brighton and Hove for 25 years and over that time we have supported more than 34,000 people — both at the Hospice and out in the community. However, over the last 25 years expectations of hospice care have changed significantly. As we look to the future, we need to upgrade our facilities to ensure that every patient receives exceptional care in the years to come.

To achieve this, Martlets will be rebuilding a large section of the Hospice this summer. We will temporarily close our doors at Wayfield Avenue. Our new inpatient unit will provide garden access from all rooms and the new grounds will be a sanctuary for patients and their loved ones. During the build, our staff will continue to deliver end-of-life care at temporary sites across our community, ensuring those who need us continue to get the support they need.

Tree with purple flowers

Share your Martlets Memories

We know that many people in our community feel a special connection with the Hospice, particularly if a loved one was cared for there, so we would like to offer you the space online to share your memories of Martlets. We have set up an online dedication page where you can share your stories and photos if you wish martlets.org.uk/Farewelldedication

Butterfly in martlets garden