The Tree of Life

'Celebrating the life of a loved one'

You can celebrate a life by donating a leaf to be engraved with your personal message.

Donate £10 for a personalised engraved leaf and you can take the opportunity to donate to the League of Friends, at the same time.

Plaque acknowledging The League of Friends gift of the 'Tree of Life' sculpture	The 'Tree of Life' in the courtyard	Close-up of leaves seen from underneath the canopy

The origins of the 'Tree of Life'

Thanks to the great generosity of the League of Friends, a unique tree sculpture was commissioned and gifted to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn.

Heike Schaefer was working as an end-of-life care facilitator for the Trust and she was inspired by art installations, which she had seen in other hospitals, to honour life. The 'Tree of Life' is her brainchild.
Heike stated, "I noticed that there was no place where relatives could retreat, celebrate the lives of their loved ones and celebrate what their lives meant to them."

The hospital has created a dedicated 'Tree of Life' courtyard for patients, families, visitors and staff where they can sit down and enjoy its splendour.

The League of Friends is a registered charity (No. 207406). Since 1953 its band of volunteers have raised millions of pounds which have been spent for the hospital. They continue to buy specialist equipment and fund projects to enhance the environment and further improve patient care.

The artist

Sculpted by Mark Reed, a local artist, the tree stands at 4.6 metres tall by 4.8 metres wide and is designed to celebrate life in our community with its 2,000 stainless-steel leaves. Everyone is invited to sit on the benches surrounding the sculpture in this peaceful corner of the hospital.

To take part in the leaf engraving scheme

Complete our online donation application form

If you prefer a paper donation application form, please contact Lydia Radford, Fundraising Support Officer on 01553 613309 or email Lydia.Radford@qehkl.nhs.uk