Staff, patients, and volunteers at St Joseph’s Hospice turned out in force to welcome Prince Edward to Hackney.
In his role as Patron of The London Gardens Society, The Earl of Wessex had come to see the award-winning gardens at the hospice in Mare Street.
St Joseph’s Hospice Chief Executive Michael Kerin who led the Royal party tour of the gardens said: “We provide holistic care for mind and body and the gardens reflect the need for a peaceful and tranquil space for patients, their families, visitors, staff and volunteers to be able to sit and enjoy the colour, light, seclusion and privacy they bring.”
St Joseph’s hospice patient Stella Omogbehin who met The Earl said, “I was very excited that His Royal Highness took the time to talk to me, you don’t get to meet a member of the Royal family every day.
“I love sitting in the gardens when I come to St Joseph’s. Along with the support, range of therapies and great care I receive when I come here, the gardens help me forget about my illness for a while, it’s like another form of therapy.”
St Joseph’s, one of the oldest and largest hospices in London, supports people from City and Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham with terminal illness and their families to help them live their lives as well as they can until death.
The hospice must raise £7 million every year to sustain the wide-reaching range of services it offers.
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