Hamoaze House Memorial Garden

Hamoaze House is a local Plymouth charity set up in 1998, providing support opportunities for adults, families, individuals, and young people whose lives are affected either directly or indirectly by problematic relationships with alcohol and other substances.

We would like your help to raise funds to remodel our garden, to provide a more functional space for our service users and the local community. We want to dedicate part of our garden to a quiet and relaxing contemplative space, a place to remember and celebrate the lives lost to drugs and alcohol.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a challenge that nearly everyone will experience during his or her lifetime. It can be even more distressing to deal with when there is a substance involved. The families left behind must deal with the loss but also the stigma that such a loss involves. In the UK drug and alcohol-related deaths have increased year on year, in 2022 there were almost 5, 000 drug-related deaths and twice as many alcohol-related deaths at 10,048.

While the only way to heal from a loss is with time, creating a memorial garden on our site to honour those lost to substance is our way of paying tribute to their life. We would like it to be a garden for service users and our local community to spend time in nature remembering a loved one.

“My mum had a very sad life, she turned to drink to cope, when she tried to get help Hamoaze was there for her and our family. Hamoaze gave me my mum back for a while. I know I can always come to the garden to remember her, and the staff are always very kind to me and my sister” - Ali.

“When my dad passed away, the staff helped me plant a rose bush in the garden to remember him, I don’t have a grave to visit, so sometimes I sit in the garden and talk to him, I know I can always visit him at Hamoaze”- Kate

“Hamoaze House has long been an oasis in the city for people affected by problematic drug and alcohol use, and our beautiful grounds are part of that experience for people. We would love to be able to transform our rear garden into a space where we can be peaceful and quiet, where we can have a fire and sing songs, and we can have a quiet corner to remember loved ones who have passed. Please give any small amount you can afford to our fund; you would be bringing so much happiness into people’s lives.”

Hamoaze House Chief Executive -Andrew Maguire