ONE measure of civilised society is how it looks after its people when they come into this life, another is how it looks after its people who live on the margins of society. And another is how it looks after its people who are to depart this life.
We have been very fortunate in Sheffield to have St Luke's. A hospice which pioneered care for the terminally ill. How strange therefore that such an organisation should be receiving opposition from a small section of our community, for its proposal to improve facilities to give better care for the terminally ill.
There has been much misinformation, particularly about St Luke's plans to move to Norton Nurseries and also about how that great benefactor JG Graves may have viewed these. The most authoritative body to give a view on JG Graves, and the one best placed to comment on how he would have viewed the proposal for enhancing Norton Nurseries through locating St Luke's there, is the JG Graves Trust.
The trustees have made it quite clear that, in their view, he would have supported the proposal. Now the Graves Trust has signalled its acceptance of the hospice plan, is it not time for all of us to support St Luke's and stop this bickering? We need to give our encouragement to one of Sheffield's most caring institutions and the hundreds of donors and volunteers who give freely of their time.
Most importantly we should not lose sight of those desperately sick people who use – and need – St Luke's Hospice. They are the ones who will suffer most if this worthwhile and essential plan is delayed.
Those facing life-threatening illness deserve to have access to the most beautiful environ-ment we can provide. What better place than Graves Park?
Bishop Jack Nicholls and Master Cutler Gordon W BridgeWELL done to Paul License for his article on Graves Park and St Lukes.
We cannot allow this to happen – the trustees of Graves Park should think again. As for selling off our parkland and green spaces, the council has already done this in Green Oak Park, Totley. Alright it isn't as big a piece of land as in Graves Park but to my mind this leaves it open to sell off land elsewhere in Sheffield. So please leave our parks and green spaces alone.
Name and address suppliedRead Paul License's column and the comments readers made on it. Click here.I read with interest and agreement Paul License's article concerning the park. While I am a supporter of St Luke's and will continue to be, I don't agree with the proposals for the Norton Nurseries.
All St Luke's have given the council is a legitimate reason to hide behind. I believe the council would love for these proposals to go through.
Every park in Sheffield has a piece of land which 'could' be hived off.
More on next page.NOW TELL US WHAT YOU THINK. POST YOUR COMMENT BELOW.READ MOREToday's features.Latest sport.Main news index.The full article contains 518 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
