Showing Up for Little Havens, Whatever the Weather

Gardening, giving back and getting stuck in

Team Advanté’s year so far volunteering at Little Havens Hospice

This year, Team Advanté has been back to Little Havens Hospice in Benfleet not once but three times so far – swapping the office for the garden across June, July and September, and proving that rain or shine, we show up. Here’s how each of our visits went.

Little Havens is part of Havens Hospices, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions across South East Essex. As a charity, it relies heavily on fundraising, donations and the generosity of volunteers to keep its gardens, grounds and facilities looking their best for the families who use them – and that’s exactly where we’ve been lending a hand this year.

June: Beating the heat

Our first group headed out in the middle of a heatwave, tackling weeding, leaf blowing, sweeping and general garden tidy-up under a scorching sun. It was hot, sweaty work, but spirits stayed high throughout – proof that a bit of British summer heat wasn’t going to stop them getting stuck in.

Taking part: Phil (Production), Wendy (Finance), Emma (Operations), Jo (Operations), Becks (Marketing), Ben (Engineer) and Scott (Driver).

“It was baking hot out there, but knowing we tried our best to tidy things up for the families who visit Little Havens made every bead of sweat worth it.” — Becks

July: Keeping the momentum going

Our second group followed in July, picking up where the June team left off with more weeding and general tidying across the garden areas.

Taking part: Luke, Carol, Mark (and his daughter Gabi), Jaycie and Susan.

“You don’t realise how much goes into keeping a space like that looking cared for until you’re the one doing the weeding. A brilliant day for a brilliant cause.” — Jaycie

September: All weather welcome

If June was defined by the heat, September was its opposite entirely – our third group braved the downpour to carry on regardless. They spent the day raking, sweeping and scooping up leaves for the compost heaps, alongside more weeding and general tidying, and came away thoroughly soaked but glad to have gotten involved.

Taking part: Paul, Jess, Alex, Stacey, Toni and Jenifer.

“Torrential rain wasn’t exactly what we signed up for, but it didn’t dampen the mood – just added a bit of extra character to the day!” – Stacey

The impact

Across all three visits, our work has made a real difference – reducing Little Havens’ maintenance costs and freeing up funds for frontline care, while also helping to raise awareness of the vital services the charity provides to children and their families.

Looking ahead

We’re proud to continue supporting Havens Hospices, with three volunteering days completed so far this year and more planned for the future. A huge thank you to everyone at Little Havens for having us, and to every member of the Advanté team who’s pulled on their gloves – whatever the weather.

For more information about Havens Hospices please visit – https://www.havenshospices.org.uk/