Sunflower Trail raises nearly £25,000 for Dorset County Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit
Maiden Castle Farm opened the 20-acre trail to the public in August
Nearly £25,000 has been raised for Dorset County Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) by Maiden Castle Farm’s 20-acre sunflower trail which was opened to the public this summer.
Maiden Castle Farm, which is at the foot of the historic Maiden Castle, created a real masterpiece this year. Visitors were greeted by scenes reminiscent of a Monet impressionist painting with a touch of Van Gogh, all on the edge of Dorchester.
Officially opened to the public in August, the sunflower trail attracted thousands of people to the Farm, as visitors rushed to use the picture-perfect scene as a backdrop to a special day out.
Attraction organiser Hazel Hoskin said:
“It was a fantastic summer and we loved seeing the thousands of people who visited the farm to see the sunflowers. The families who have come along are getting back to nature. It's so good that people are out in the fresh air and appreciating natural beauty, some even bought a picnic. Judging by all the pictures we saw on social media we like to think we helped families make some special memories.
“The Special Care Baby Unit is a cause particularly close to our hearts because our son Thomas was born three months early and the care and support we received is something that we've never forgotten. Thomas turned 18 this September and as this is an important milestone we felt it was the perfect time to be able to give something back.
“I’m over the moon with the amount of money we’ve raised but it wasn’t just us who did this, it was everyone who came to see the sunflowers. So, thank you to everyone who visited us – with your contribution we can help make a real difference to the Special Care Baby Unit at Dorset County Hospital.”
SCBU Manager, Dominic Sheehy, said:
“What a fantastic gift from Thomas and his family. We intend to purchase a Cerebral Function Monitor which looks at brainwave activity in newborns. This will allow us to treat conditions that would otherwise be invisible to us, and we can then alter our treatment and improve outcomes. This is clearly fantastic for the baby, but the ripple effect of joy throughout the family, extended family and friends is immeasurable.
This then continues for each and every baby that is monitored with this new equipment. What a superb way to mark your 18th Birthday.”
Hazel added, “Viewed from the air, the design created by the trails in the sunflower field reads ‘Love Life’. Something all of our family have good reason to agree with this year. We look forward to creating a completely different sunflower trail next year and hope that we will get just as much support from our local community, and all our visitors, as we did this year.”