The White Rose Wellbeing Garden at St James’s University Hospital has turned one, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust marked the anniversary with a creative mosaic-making session run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The permanent piece will be fixed to the beams of the garden’s all-weather sheltered seating.
Since the garden’s construction began last summer, it has hosted regular wellbeing workshops, two Gardening Club sessions a month, and events including a thank-you visit from the Lord Mayor for Volunteers Week, a Covid memorial, and a visit from the citywide Baton of Hope walk for Suicide Prevention Day. Colleagues have also been given more than 1,000 plants and seed packets over the year, learning about horticulture and biodiversity through a partnership between the RHS, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Bloom Sheffield and Hepworth Wakefield, among other local partners.
Celebrations included posy-making at a flower bar with Bloom Sheffield, a chai pop-up from local restaurant Dishoom, and a vegan anniversary cake from wedding cake designer Sarah & Cake.
A goal to aim for
Antony Kildare, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The Wellbeing Garden at St James’s has made a genuinely positive difference to this part of our hospital site. It has been wonderful to see so many people making use of the garden, whether that’s taking time out to share a break with colleagues, holding meetings outdoors, or just enjoying the bright space during what has been an exceptionally good summer.” He added: “I’ve also heard encouraging stories of patients, including some long-term inpatients, visiting the garden as part of their recovery, and using it as a goal to aim for.”
Helena Russon, who works at the trust, said the garden and its workshops “helped with my day-to-day health and mental wellbeing at work by enabling me to have a space to go to, very close to work, when I am feeling stressed during a busy day.” A patient in Bexley Wing said: “It’s lovely to visit the garden and feel the fresh air after being on the ward all week. So good to be somewhere that doesn’t feel like a hospital.”
The garden, open to patients and families behind Gledhow Wing, has dozens of flowerbeds and planters, including plants chosen for their medicinal properties, and has proved popular with bees and butterflies since it was designed to be pollinator-friendly.
