Horatio's Garden with the RNOH Charity

Posted by Chloe Fisher on 29 January 2021

In these unprecedented times, many of us have come to realise the importance of outdoor spaces in supporting our mental health, which perhaps makes the arrival of Horatio’s Garden London at the RNOH feel more momentous than ever. The majority of people with spinal cord injuries spend upwards of two months in hospital with little or no access to the outside world.

The garden, designed by eight-time Chelsea gold medal winner Tom Stuart-Smith, has been built just beyond the ward doors of the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre for patients and their loved ones to enjoy as they adjust to living with life-changing injuries, giving them the space to establish vital support networks. It also provides a haven for NHS staff who can enjoy the garden to boost their own mental wellbeing.

The RNOH Charity worked in partnership with the national charity Horatio’s Garden, which creates and nurtures gardens in NHS spinal injury centres across the UK to support those affected by spinal injury. Horatio’s Garden also runs horticultural and creative therapy sessions to help patients throughout their mental and physical rehabilitation. Horatio’s Garden London has been over two years in the making and, thanks to a team of volunteers working under the guidance of designer Tom Stuart-Smith and new Head Gardener Ashley Edwards, is now open to patients and their families.

If you would like to donate towards the RNOH Charity you can do so via the RNOH Charity Just Giving page.