It happened this morning, Monday 27 November, the presentation of the “Donors’ Garden”, a green space in memory of the wonderful gesture of donating blood by many towns and citizens who, through Avis of Ferrara, have contributed to ensuring that such a precious resource is never missing for the healthcare companies in our area. The garden will see the planting of 10 trees and 10 bushes for the first year.
Today the first two essences were planted: Carpinus Betulus (White Hornbeam) and a Dogwood shrub.
Each tree and each hedge will be identified by a reference code. Each code will be communicated to the new donors with a joint letter from the various partners of the project in which it will be said that as a donor, the plant identified by the specific code is dedicated to him, and it will be illustrated which plant it is and its salient characteristics . Each new donor will therefore be able to identify with a plant.
This is recognition for the gesture of donation, also aimed at creating a sort of “emulation” by others, who will thus in turn be encouraged to start donating. At the same time “The Donors’ Garden” will be a “living representation” of a responsible community that helps itself and is attentive to the environment.
The Garden will contribute to increasing the ecosystem services of the hospital area, with a positive progression of biodiversity, shading and consequent control of the summer heat island and with an increase in air quality.
The planting and subsequent maintenance of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants – carefully chosen and well maintained – represents an element of humanization and is destined to make an important contribution in terms of psycho-physical health. In fact, it has been demonstrated that the presence of green areas contributes to significantly lowering levels of stress, anxiety, pain, anger and increases the speed of post-operative recovery and the reduction of the pharmacological load.
THE PROJECT. The project has an initial duration of three years and was desired and organized in agreement with the intercompany Green manager Dr. Daniele Zappi, from: Avis Provinciale e Comunale Ferrara, Coldiretti, Presidency of the City Council, Department of the Environment and that of Social Policies of the Municipality of Ferrara; the “Vergani Navarra” school institute and the companies LyondellBasell and Yara will also make their fundamental contribution.
The area identified for planting is located in the green space in front of Entrance 4.
The plants (purchased by Coldiretti Ferrara), and chosen by them together with the Municipality of Ferrara, were identified based on their characteristics of adaptability and lower degree of allergenicity.
The planting will be carried out by students of the “Vergani Navarra” Higher Education Institute of Ferrara. The University Hospital of Ferrara will take care of the maintenance of the trees.
Every year, on Donor’s Day (14 June), 25 trees and as many hedges donated by Avis through Coldiretti will be planted – for the duration of the project and in any case until the end of the available spaces.
COLLABORATION. The two Ferrara healthcare companies collaborate with 35 voluntary associations. Avis is one of the associations with which the collaboration is closest, most profitable, finalized and consolidated. Also for these considerations, the management of the two healthcare companies has stipulated an agreement with Avis (and with Fidas Renazzo), which details the ongoing collaboration relating to the supply of blood and plasma and provides for joint awareness and collaboration initiatives, in order to know the activities of the associations and consequently promote donation.
BLOOD COLLECTION POINTS IN FERRARA. There are currently 17 Avis and Fidas collection points: 16 of Avis located in Ferrara, Argenta, Bondeno, Cento, Codigoro, Comacchio, Copparo, Lagosanto, Massa Fiscaglia, Mesola, Mirabello, Ostellato, Poggio Renatico, Portomaggiore, Vigarano Mainarda and Voghiera, and one from Fidas in Renazzo. During 2022, 23,485 units of whole blood and plasma were donated (21,985 AVIS and 1,500 Fidas Renazzo); there were 821 (17 more than in 2021) donation days (774 Avis, 47 Fidas).
Present at the conference were Monica Calamai, General Director of the Ferrara healthcare companies; Cristina Coletti, Councilor for Social Policies of the Municipality of Ferrara; Lorenzo Poltronieri, President of the City Council of Ferrara; Sergio Mazzini, Avis Municipal President of Ferrara; Riccardo Casotti, Deputy Director of Coldiretti Ferrara; Stefano Giatti, teacher at the Vergani Navarra Institute in Ferrara; Daniele Zappi, Green Manager of the Ferrara Healthcare Companies; Claudio Minguzzi, LyondellBasell; Lara Borghi, Yara.
Sergio Mazzini. “This project was born from an idea of Avis, which is not just blood donation but also well-being in general. We started from a slogan which is “where there is green there is life and health“. We involved the Municipality of Ferrara, Coldiretti and the schools for a project that involves not only blood donors from Ferrara, but people coming from all over Italy. Our idea is that the memory of the donors remains over time and that they too can have a tangible return for their act of generosity. A gesture that enriches the spirit, but also the environments of our hospital.”
Riccardo Casotti. “Sergio Mazzini’s enthusiasm infected us immediately and this project certainly enters into the themes that are topical and always present and at the center of our daily work. Solidarity first and foremost. Then it is important to recognize the young people and all the new donors who are entering this experience as a plant, a living being, something that will continue over time and that we will be able to “come and visit” to bear witness to their gift. This project enters into the reasoning of the climate change we are experiencing; these critical issues that force us to deal with what once existed and Today it no longer exists (such as the mid-seasons, the climate we knew and so on…). All this forces us to think about climate adaptation: therefore plants and trees represent a fundamental element, not only for a correct alternation of carbon dioxide and oxygen, but also, simply, for their contribution in generating shade and to mitigate solar impacts. This project puts us in relation with other realities, such as the hospital, schools and companies in our area and we are happy to make our contribution to encouraging the humanisation of healthcare facilities”.
Lorenzo Poltronieri. “In collaborating on this project I wanted to bring the hospital closer to the city. And, through this initiative, which represents a “living thing” like the forest, the symbiosis with the city can be recreated. Thanks to everyone who collaborated on this project, thanks also to the Transfusion Center which does so much for all the donors who silently, every day, do a wonderful job.”
Cristina Coletti. “The Garden of Donors” can be summarized with the word gratitude, which is ours, as an Administration, towards Avis for the social wealth it brings to the territory, but it is also that of Avis towards those who choose to do well, to whom a tree will be dedicated. A round of applause also to the Ferrara Healthcare Companies and to its General Director Monica Calamai for the constant attention, which allows us to maintain the synergy with the Municipal Administration and social components which is bringing to fruition many initiatives aimed at creating well-being for the users of the healthcare facilities, and more generally to all citizens. I also extend my thanks to Coldiretti for confirming itself as a reality in which the social vocation is strong”.
Stefano Giatti. “I bring greetings from the Manager Massimiliano Urbinati, I am a close collaborator of the manager. This project is very important for us, not only for the participation of our 2nd C class. People often identify our institute only with the word “Agriculture”: in reality Vergani Navarra also deals with the environment. The guys who are here Today they have the opportunity to put various notions into practice and are protagonists of an important part of this project which gives them further reason to be passionate about what they study”.
After greetings from Claudio Minguzzi and Lara Borghi (LyondellBasell and Yara, sponsors who actively collaborate on the project), took the floor Daniele Zappi who illustrated the project on behalf of the S. Anna company.
Monica Calamai. “Thanks to the network created by the institutions and associations of our territory, the foundations can be created to improve the well-being and the provision of care aimed at citizens. This project fits perfectly within the humanization of treatment paths, with a view to the “one health” concept understood as a broad-spectrum approach to health. In recent years, the way of conceiving hospitals has been revolutionizing, moving from a treatment perspective to a concept of the patient’s general well-being, which passes not only from the treatment of the pathology but also from the “beauty” of the treatment places that surround him. So I thank all the participants and I am very happy that the University Hospital of Ferrara was chosen to host this project”.