Therapeutic garden at Northgate Hospital providing wellbeing boost
A new therapeutic garden at Northgate Hospital for patients to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of working with nature has been inundated with donations.
People Participation Leads Gary Walker and Sophie Bagge used a £1,000 grant from NHS Charities Together to set up the gardening club at Northgate Hospital in Great Yarmouth last month.
The garden is already helping more than 20 service users, carers and staff to find companionship, learn new skills and boost their wellbeing.
Now it has been boosted by donations from local businesses, thanks to the efforts of one of the gardeners using our services who has been visiting potential donors with Gary.
Great Yarmouth Tesco has donated brushes, weed brushes and grass seed, Morrisons has donated £60 of plants, Wilkinson's gave £30 of bulbs and a £20 gift voucher, Asda gave a £30 gift voucher and Biffa skips delivered two tonnes of top soil, with an offer to bring more if needed.
Gary said: "A big thank you to Roxy, Julie and Rory from Great Yarmouth Tesco and to all the other businesses and individuals who have contributed time and resources to help us develop this important project.
"We're already seeing the positive wellbeing benefits this club is bringing to the people who use it.
"Special thanks to the service user and keen gardener who has helped pull all the kind donations together by visiting businesses with me in the community."
At first, the club is focusing on tending the gardens near the main entrance. Eventually, they hope to set up some allotments.
The club, which is organised into bubbles of four people, runs every Wednesday, 2pm-4.30pm.
Anyone is welcome to join, but please email Gary before attending: gary.walker@nsft.nhs.uk
If you would like to donate to the garden please use the NSFT JustGiving page - just search for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund.
Pictured: Rory (left) and Julie, from Great Yarmouth Tesco, present donations for the therapeutic garden club at Northgate Hospital to Gary Walker, PPL for Great Yarmouth and Waveney Care Group.