22 Apr 2024 Community

The Kirkwood Spotlight: Volunteer Martin Dixon

The Kirkwood relies on an army of dedicated volunteers, whether they work in the garden, the kitchen or on the In-Patient Unit helping to deliver drinks and food to patients. The Kirkwood has over 800 volunteers and we are proud of them all. 

Martin Dixon is one of our fantastic volunteers who has used his past experience as an engineer to help bring practical advice and skills to our gardening team. Martin enjoys the camaraderie between the volunteers and believes the vital work he is doing makes a difference. 

On volunteering for The Kirkwood, he said: “My mother in law passed away in The Kirkwood. So I thought it'd be nice to put something back into the charity that cared for her. My wife, Catherine works in the kitchen for the charity too. 

“I admit I'm not a gardener but I bring a practical skill set to the team due to my engineering background. I like building things, fixing things and keeping things tidy. 

“My role here really began when I retired from work. I come to The Kirkwood's Dalton site every Thursday to help the gardening team. I wanted something to do in retirement.” 

Since joining the team Martin has worked on many projects including building a duck house where we have had a number of ducklings hatch. Also building obelisks and other garden fittings. 

Martin explained: “I have built the duck house and the obelisks which are dotted around the garden. I've built the wall for the new vegetable patch which I'm really pleased with. Linda, our head gardener keeps giving me tasks and projects to complete. I don't mind that though as it keeps me busy, I've always got something to work on. 

“I don't like waste and if I see good wood that can be used I want to use it. We used old planters to make the allotment barrier and painted it the same colour as the new planters. It looks really smart down at that part of the garden now. 

“The allotment has now grown which means we can grow a wider variety of vegetables which is great. I love the fact that we grow our own food which then helps to feed the patients and staff/volunteers.”

Back in 2016 Martin was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. Yet despite this devastating setback Martin is a credit to himself as he continues to work hard to make our garden an inviting and tranquil place to visit. Martin continues to have a positive outlook on life whilst overcoming his own difficulties due to the disease he has. 

On dealing with Parkinsons he said: “I have been diagnosed with Parkinsons. It can be difficult at times to deal with but I just get on with things. The people here know about my condition but I am just doing what I can while I can. 

“I love being outside and I really enjoy working with this team of people who all have the same goal and that's to make the garden look as good as it can for the patients we care for. 

“I have always been a positive person with a can-do attitude and despite having Parkinsons over the last eight years, my attitude hasn't changed.” 

Finally Linda Roberts, our head gardener spoke highly of Martin's contribution and made the following observations. 

She said: “Martin will muck in and do anything, whether it's planting geraniums with a crowd of us. Mowing the lawns, fixing and building things. 

“Martin is a valued member of our team, like all the volunteers are. Martin always puts his mind to any task and I'd like to thank him for his work so far because what he does is brilliant.”