Build a Garden Project

The Belarusian children’s hospice movement began in 1994 with the building in Minsk of the first children’s hospice in the whole of the former Soviet Union.  Initially conceived to deal with children suffering from cancer related conditions, it has now expanded to help children with chronic and terminal conditions, many with genetic abnormalities or severe handicaps.  

At Zabrodie, some 90km outside Minsk, the hospice has established a summer camp to provide holidays in the fresh air for seriously ill children and siblings of those in terminal stages of illness.  For the last two years the Trust has been supporting the latest development at the camp; the Stork Centre building.  This is a special unit designed to provide medical support for families with severely ill children.  The building work is now finished but it basically sits in a field with trees and a few paths too narrow to take wheelchairs.  The garden will provide a peaceful, contemplative setting and hopefully some gentle stimulation to give pleasure to the sick children and their families.

Click on thumbnails for larger images.

A professional garden designer has volunteered her services and produced an inspirational plan for the whole site which, when realised, will provide an environment  to contribute to the psychological and physical benefits of the project.

Click here to view the plan in detail

 A group of volunteer labourers will join our experts in Zabrodie in September 2009 to start digging.  The volunteers will self-fund but help is needed to pay for the capital costs of the garden construction.