VITAL GARDENS ARE A SOURCE OF light and hope

That’s why we are delighted to reveal these new gardens and outdoor spaces in our hospitals, providing a pleasant space to visit outside of the clinical environment on our wards. Thank you so much to everyone for working so hard on these beautiful gardens.

One example is the secret garden that has been opened in the heart of the Friarage Hospital for palliative care patients and their families, thanks to a local charity.

The secret oasis offers patients, visitors and staff a space for reflection as well as for those therapeutic quiet times.

It was created by Beth Robinson, the landlady of the Beeswing Inn in East Cowton, and her incredible fundraisers in memory of her father Les.

In 2014, Beth and her friends formed the Cowtonbury Music Festival to raise funds for those who cared for her mother after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013.

Thankfully Beth’s mum recovered but Beth’s dedication to fundraising didn’t stop there.

Since 2014, the annual event has raised over £160,000 to improve health and palliative care services and spaces in the Hambleton and Richmondshire district.

The garden is the newest addition in their mission to create more family spaces for people to spend their final moments with their loved ones away from the clinical hospital environment.

Beth explained that her dad, who died in 2018 in The Friarage Hospital’s palliative care unit, was the inspiration behind the garden.

She said: “Dad’s care at the Friarage was truly amazing. However, what stuck out during his care was the lack of family spaces.

“Dad loved the outdoors; he would rather be outside than stuck behind hospital doors.”

Thanks to Beth’s team, volunteers from the Northdale horticulture scheme and the local community, the secret courtyard now has a natural look and feel, offering pagoda style weather protection for patients and their families.

With the help of a local designer and local artists, the garden reflects The Friarage Hospital’s ‘Tree of Life’ theme which is seen throughout the hospital.

“It’s great to see the garden now complete and ready for patients and their families - I feel really emotional and proud,” said Beth.

Although the secret garden will primarily be used by palliative care patients, it will also offer a tranquil outdoor space for other long stay patients as well as Friarage staff.

It was officially opened by Hambleton District Council leader Mark Robson and fellow Hambleton councillor Steve Watson.

As well as creating the secret garden, which cost £45,000, the Cowtonbury team has refurbished a family room on the hospital’s Romanby Ward.

They hope to create another palliative care family room at the Friarage as well as a palliative care suite/unit within the hospital.

Other garden developments have included new lighting being installed in the Critical Care Garden and the opening of our Veterans Garden at James Cook Hospital, which coincided with Remembrance Day.

The garden is in honour of our Armed Forces and will be a space for our staff to reflect and remember our fallen.

We were privileged to welcome His Majesty’s LordLieutenant of North Yorkshire Mrs Johanna Ropner, who said a few words and cut the ribbon to the garden, marking the official opening.

The opening was also followed by a remembrance service, led by trust chaplains Len Collings and Lisa Opala.

Lisa said: “The Veterans Garden is a beautiful nature space where members of staff, patients and their families can spend time out in the fresh air.

“It means a lot to those who are serving in the forces, to Veterans and their families and it is a lasting tribute to those who gave their lives for our tomorrow.

“The garden also inspires us to hope for peace in a world that knows conflict and division.”