01:01, 17 July 2026
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
A Moana-themed immersive and multisensory garden has arrived at Little Havens, Essex’s only children’s hospice.
Created through the combined efforts of the charity, The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland and viral landscaping duo, The Green Genie Brothers (Jake and Ethan Thorne), the garden opened just ahead of the live-action’s theatrical release.
Decorated to create a Pacific oasis-inspired garden, the relaxed atmosphere is populated with dynamic water features and Moana’s friends for visitors to search for. The Green Genie Brothers put their talents to use and landscaped the garden with accessibility in mind, ensuring every child can enjoy the garden with no barriers.
The garden has become a vital fixture of support for families cared for by Little Havens. One of which is Millie’s family.
Six-year-old Millie was diagnosed with Congenital Myopathy, a muscle disorder affecting the muscles inside and outside of her body, by her first birthday and has been supported by Little Havens ever since.
Millie officially opened the garden alongside Little Havens’ CEO Louise Bryan, Dan Radford, VP Marketing at The Walt Disney Company, and The Green Genie Brothers.
Jay Farr, Millie’s mum, said, “Millie is such a huge Disney fan, so watching her face when she saw the garden for the first time was pure joy. She loved driving ‘round looking at the characters, and particularly liked Tamatoa and his treasure. The evening was wonderful, and you could tell that every single person involved truly cared about what they had created.”
Jay continued: “Millie, and other families like ours, go through so much, so when we sit in the garden, we will be reminded that we are not alone, and that is just beautiful. Millie’s still got a huge smile on her face.”
This is the latest project as part of Disney’s long-standing collaboration with Together for Short Lives, the national charity supporting children living with serious illnesses and their families across the UK.
Dan Radford, Vice President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Company added: “Creating moments of joy for children and families facing serious illness is at the heart of Disney’s social impact work.
“This garden is a wonderful reminder of how stories like Moana can be brought to life and provide a sense of escape, comfort, and togetherness for families when it’s needed most.”
Since 2017, The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland is working to deliver over one million magical moments of comfort and togetherness for children across Europe, West Asia and Africa by 2030.
Watch the film of the garden coming together below:
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Havens Hospices. This is an Essex-based charity that provides free, expert, compassionate care and support for people of all ages living with complex or incurable conditions, and their families. Find out more.
Together for Short Lives. This is a leading UK-wide charity for children living with serious illness, their families and the services that provide them with palliative care. Find out more here.
Hospice Foundation of America (HFA). This nonprofit provides education, counseling, and grief support for healthcare professionals and the public. Ultimately helping people understand end-of-life care. Support them here.
