School pupils help create new willow sculptures at Thames Hospice

Pupils from four schools headed to Thames Hospice on Monday to admire work created at a willow-sculpture workshop last month.

The workshop took place on April 26 at Beechwood School, with art students from Beechwood, Eton College, Holyport College and The Langley Academy.

Organised by the Thames Valley Learning Partnership (TVLP) alongside Willowtwisters, the workshop brought together more than 30 pupils to create four willow sculptures for the hospice.

The sculptures were designed for the three inpatient unit wings at the hospice, named Kingfisher, Heron and Otter.

A fourth butterfly sculpture will also sit in the hospice gardens to complement the bee and bug hotels, which are to be
installed this summer to attract wildlife.

The sculptures will be displayed permanently in the gardens for everyone to admire. They will also provide valuable habitats for insects and wildlife.

A number of pupils visited the hospice grounds to see the unveiling of the sculptures.

Harvey McMahon was one of them – a Year 10 pupil at Beechwood School whose mother was cared for at Thames Hospice.

He said: “I wanted to show respect for the hospice and how they treated my mum in her last moments. It was a really fun event that I enjoyed taking part in.”