Milestone contributes landscaping supplies to garden for Woking toddler

We are proud to have recently contributed a range of landscaping materials to a Surrey family in need of support following a difficult few years.

Gemma and Darren Summerscales-Heard were desperate to create a safe, comfortable garden that would be suitable for Dexter - their son with quadriplegic cerebral palsy - to play in. 

The couple initially began raising funds for their landscaping project with the help of loved ones. Frustratingly, they were close to hitting their £10,000 target last year – but their plans were pushed to one side when Dexter was admitted to hospital with pneumonia last year.

The project was put well and truly on the backburner while Dexter underwent treatment for a rare immune condition that saw him fighting for his life. The family had to dip into the crowd-raised funds during this devastating time, which left their dreams of creating a safe, comfortable outdoor space for their son and his sister Tiana well and truly out of reach – or so they thought. 

Simon Wright, a devoted supporter of the Summerscales-Heard’s plight, contacted local businesses and individuals in a bid to find generous contractors who would help him get the job done.

Work started on the 20^th August 2018, and in just two weeks, charitable contractors had transformed the Summerscales-Heard’s average-looking back garden into a safe haven for Dexter, his sister and their friends and family.

The space contains a full playset – complete with slide, climbing wall and swing – along with a fastened tepee. Other features include a fully landscaped plant bed, a standalone water feature, and an impressive lion statue that has been incorporated into the design to represent the family’s courage in the face of such adversity.

Milestone contributed bark mulch, topsoil and play sand to the landscape.

Gemma and Darren said of the colossal communal effort:

"What a surreal experience and huge surprise for us.  We are so lucky to have some many kind and generous people in our lives. An amazing gift given to us out of the hearts of fabulous people, this will allow Dexter and Tiana the space to be children and explore their imaginations. You will never truly know how much you have done for us."

More information on the project can be found in this press release hosted on the Eagle Radio website.