Horatio’s Garden

Since breaking ground back in February 2016 work on the new Horatio’s Garden at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow has progressed at an impressive rate. It is being built by Horatio’s Garden, a charity named in honour of a very determined young man, Horatio Chapple, who tragically died in 2011. The charity creates beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres. The first being created at Salisbury District hospital, in the Spinal Treatment Centre where Horatio volunteered. The gardens are completely funded by people’s generous donations and the charity’s fundraising events, and are intended to be places of solace, escape and relaxation for the patients in the spinal injury centres and also for their families and friends.

The garden at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit is due to be completed very soon, with patients predicted to have access by the beginning of July. A formal grand opening will then be arranged for a later date, yet to be confirmed.

Currently in the internal courtyard glass pods are under construction that will allow patients to make use of the space come rain or shine. The wheelchair skills area is now complete and foundations have been laid for the children’s’ play area, which is being constructed offsite. Sound baffling has been erected to reduce noise from the nearby roads and help the garden to remain a haven of peace and tranquillity. Head Gardener Kim and her team of volunteers have begun planting in all areas of the garden and an Event’s Organiser is now in place to provide a regular calendar of activities in the garden for both patients and their families.

The project, however, may not have proceeded at such a pace, were it not for the commitment and generosity of the charity’s patrons, volunteers and donors. When work first began Horatio’s Garden were pleased to have Appeal Patrons Melanie Reid and Gregor Fisher come along and lend a hand. More recently, after hosting a stall at the Chelsea Flower Show from 23rd – 28th May, they were delighted to find themselves the recipients of a number of very generous donations. These included the donation, by wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin, of a beautiful garden sculpture that had been on display on a main avenue of the show. They were also thrilled to receive, from Hartley Botanic, the extremely generous donation of all the trees and plants from their show garden as well as the Opus Glass House that they had on display. The fantastic Horatio’s Garden volunteers have been busy nursing and watering these donated plants to ensure that they were healthy and ready for planting when they arrived at the unit on 1st June. The eagerly awaited sculpture and glass house are sure to be beautiful and interesting additions to the garden, which was designed by renowned garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair

Even once the project is completed the garden will require regular maintenance by Head Gardener Kim and her enthusiastic team of volunteers. The volunteer group is growing but there is always work to be done and the charity is still recruiting. If you could give some time working in the garden, supporting patients to use the garden or with fundraising then please get in touch by emailing info@horatiosgarden.org.uk

Despite its imminent completion Horatio’s Garden is still currently fenced off and hidden from view.

Patients, staff and visitors alike are excitedly anticipating their first glimpses of this new addition to the unit when it opens in July. Look out for the Autumn edition of Newsline for photos and first impressions!

To learn more about the project and the charity’s work please look on www.horatiosgarden.org.uk or follow us on twitter @horatiosgarden or facebook.