A new outdoor space for people to remember and reflect has been officially opened at Bradford Royal Infirmary by ITV’s 'Love Your Garden' presenter, Katie Rushworth.
The garden was made possible thanks to a £44,840 grant from NHS Charities Together, which Bradford Hospitals Charity (BHC) secured. The new space is on the Smith Lane side of the hospital, and will be a place where colleagues, patients, and visitors can go and sit in quiet contemplation if they need a break away from the office or wards.
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director responsible for BHC at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Saj Azeb, said: “The reflection garden is an important addition to our Trust, and we hope it will enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of our patients, families, and colleagues here at Bradford Royal infirmary. The pandemic and subsequent years have been tough on us all, and this quiet area recognises that we all need space to remember those we have loved and lost.”
Head of Fundraising for BHC, Lisa Williams, explained: “BHC is proud to have secured this funding from NHS Charities Together, and we would like to thank them for their generosity as, without it, this new space wouldn’t have been possible. This lovely new setting serves as a visible and important area where people can come together to reflect, remember, and take time out of their day to get away from the main hospital and – most importantly – take precious time out for themselves.”
The garden was based on a design idea by Roger Scales from Bradford Council’s Landscape, Design and Conservation team, and built by the Trust’s Estates and Gardening teams over a period of eight weeks.
Estates Projects Officer, Samantha Hunter, added: “Having been involved in the reflection garden’s planning since it was first talked about at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a special project to deliver. On behalf of the Estates and Gardening teams involved in its creation, I hope everyone enjoys this much-needed reflective and tranquil space.”
Morgan Sindall Construction, which recently completed work on the Trust’s maternity assessment centre, also donated plants and provided volunteers to work on the reflection garden.
