Richard and Cherie Cliff have both very recently retired, and are starting to think about volunteering. Their daughter, Fran, works here at Arohanui Hospice and volunteered them, on their behalf to restore some rotting, worn-down outdoor seats for patients and whānau to use.

“I’ve always had a bit of a DIY background, having three kids I was always doing up playhouses and bits and pieces, then we restored our home as well. I’m just a bit of a tinkerer,” explains Richard.

“I was more than happy to help, but you see we got them home the day before one of the 2021 lockdowns which delayed the process quite a bit, unfortunately. Once I stripped the seats down we realised that the wood was rotten in parts, so needed completely replacing but of course then we had the timber shortage so we had to be a bit creative to make do.”

Cherie says, “It was a wonderful project for him though. We both really enjoyed it, I got in and helped where I could too. We have a real passion for gardening and making great outdoor spaces to enjoy, so this was right up our alley.”

“It’s not just because Fran works here either you know, we’ve had our fair share of friends and family who have been in Hospice care. It’s such an important and well used service that it’s baffling it’s not fully funded by the government. It has been a pleasure being able to give back in our own way.”