New garden for NSIC patients opened by Mary Berry

Posted: 10 September 2018

On Sunday 9 September a group of specially invited guest joined with patients and staff to officially celebrate the completion of the Horatio’s Garden project at the NSIC.

The Stoke Mandeville Horatio’s Garden is the result of nearly 3 years of fundraising by the Horatio’s Garden charity, their legions of volunteers and supporters many of whom came to Sunday’s event.

The president of the National Gardens Scheme, and local celebrity, Mary Berry, officially opened the garden and mingled with patients and staff.

The garden allows patients and their families and visitors a calm and tranquil outdoor space to spend time in while they undergo treatment and rehabilitation.

It was designed by Joe Swift, a leading garden designer and regular presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. The garden includes a special garden room designed by architect Andrew Wells.

The Horatio’s Garden charity is responsible for all ongoing care and maintenance of the garden and delivering activities for patients in the garden, so that it becomes a vibrant place of gentle rehabilitation.

Trust Chair, Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, who attended the opening event with Trust Chief Executive Neil Macdonald, said: “The National Spinal Injuries Centre is at the heart of Stoke Mandeville Hospital. We are incredibly proud of the specialist care and treatment we provide to spinal cord injured patients, some of whom are seriously injured and subsequently with us for many months at a time.

As a Trust, we are committed to supporting projects which bring about benefits to our patients and Horatio’s Garden is one such project which will greatly enhance the experience of our spinal patients, their friends, families and our staff. We know that finding ways to create non-medical places for our patients is enormously important to them. Having a beautiful and tranquil garden where they can go and relax, or have some privacy away from their day to day treatments will be enormously beneficial to their care and rehabilitation.”

Click here to find out more about the Horatio's Garden charity