Stepping Stone Children’s IPU Garden.
For Mandela Day 2024, The Creative Café partnered with Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services to support the opening of their new Children’s In-Patient Unit (IPU). This remarkable facility provides specialised care and comfort for children facing life-limiting illnesses, while creating a welcoming environment for their families, caregivers and volunteers.
The Need.
As part of the new facility, there was an opportunity to transform an outdoor area into something truly special – a tranquil oasis where children, their families and the dedicated hospice team could step away from the clinical environment, connect with nature and simply enjoy the outdoors.
Creating this sanctuary required more than good intentions. It called for a community of people willing to donate products, services, expertise and time to help bring the vision to life.
What We Did.
On Mandela Day, The Creative Café team, together with an incredible network of clients, suppliers, partners and friends, rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
We spent the day digging, planting, painting and landscaping, transforming an ordinary outdoor space into a peaceful garden filled with colour, greenery and hope. We left tired, dirty and more than a little achy, but also incredibly humbled by the experience and immensely proud of what we had achieved together.
Today, the garden stands as a haven where patients, families, caregivers and volunteers can find peace, reconnect with nature and enjoy moments of calm during what are often incredibly difficult circumstances. While the project began on Mandela Day, our commitment did not end there. We continued to care for and maintain the garden for a full year, ensuring that it flourished and became an uplifting sanctuary for every patient and visitor.
With Thanks to Our Sponsors.
This project is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together. Our sincere thanks goes to every client, supplier, partner, friend and supporter who contributed financially, donated products, lent equipment and volunteered their time. Every plant, tool, hour and act of generosity played a part in transforming an idea into a living, growing space that will bring comfort to children and families for years to come.
Together, we planted far more than a garden – we planted hope.
Join us next Mandela Day.
The success of our Mandela Day initiatives has always been made possible by generous people who are willing to give their time, skills, products or services to help others.
If you’d like to be part of future Mandela Day projects, we’d love to hear from you!
Complete the form below to let us know how you’d like to get involved. Whether you can volunteer your time, donate products or services, offer specialised skills or simply lend a hand on the day, we’ll add you to our Mandela Day community and contact you when we’re planning our next initiative.
Together, we can make every Mandela Day count.
