Charity funded staff gardens opened at St Mary’s

Guests gave three cheers to mark the opening of our new charity funded staff gardens at St Mary’s Community Health Campus in Portsmouth.

Sue Harriman, Solent NHS Trust CEO, snipped a ribbon to declare the impressive green space officially open.

The peaceful corner, designed around a landmark lime tree, gives our hard-working staff somewhere to take a bit of time out when needed.

Plenty of wooden benching has been provided to allow them to have some fresh air on their coffee or lunch breaks, away from our hectic wards and departments.

The garden, along with a smaller one at the Western Community Hospital in Southampton, was funded by NHS Charities Together. Part of the money was raised by the late former British Army officer Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Mark Young, Associate Director of Estates Transformation, said:  “Our new gardens provide the perfect place for staff to enjoy a breath of fresh air during their busy working day.

“It was great to be able to get together at St Mary’s to celebrate the opening of such a worthwhile project.

“We are extremely grateful to NHS Charities Together, and in particular Captain Sir Tom, for funding these two schemes, which were developed following staff feedback.”

Both projects were carried out by Eastleigh based Scandor Landscape Contractors Limited, on behalf of Solent NHS Estates.