Last year I devised a PR campaign for my client HCT Turf. They had previously twice run a ‘Love Your Garden’ campaign with the public sending in photos of their gardens. So I thought it was time for something different.

‘Turf It Forward’ (a play on pay it forward) asked for nominations from community groups, schools, charities, sports clubs, for an area that needed returfing. Up to 150sqm was on offer.

The winner was the charity Hospiscare, who had two areas of lawn at Searle House in Exeter that were worse for wear. At the back, in the beautiful gardens available to patients and visitors, a wooden pergola had been removed, leaving a bare patch in the lawn. At the front, the summer drought had done its worst, and the lawn was looking very sorry for itself.

The plan was to lay the turf in November, but Storm Claudia brought heavy rain and high winds across the South West, making the work impossible. Despite lots of calls and emails to try and sort out a new time, in the end major building works started at Searle House meant the site was inaccessible. So the returfing was be put on hold.

Once these works were finally completed at the end of March, the turfing team moved quickly. Richard Hockley from HCT was joined by Sam Burdick and his crew from County Grounds Maintenance, along with Victor Brook and Kitty Brook from Steve Brook Haulage, all of whom volunteered their labour. They started at about 8am and I popped along at around 10.30 to take some photos – the work was well underway.

Hospiscare’s Estates Manager, Sharon Ewart, who I liaised with throughout, was delighted with the result. And I could tell that Richard from HCT was thrilled that the returfing was complete. He had lost a close friend to cancer, so had a personal connection. I was also feeling tearful, as my own father had cancer, and our local hospice in Southampton was a godsend when the time came.

Huge thanks to Sam and the team at County Grounds Maintenance, and to Victor and Kitty from Steve Brook Haulage, for giving up their time. It was greatly appreciated.