The spinal injury unit at a UK hospital is set to benefit from a new garden project designed to improve the lives of patients and their friends and families. Architects EBBA have been selected to design the rehabilitation garden at the The Golden Jubilee regional spinal cord injuries centre at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
The charity behind this North Yorkshire garden, Horatio’s Garden, is a unique organisation aiming to create peaceful, restorative gardens for patients, visitors and staff. They have created eight gardens across the country so far, with the charity’s ultimate goal being to create a garden at every one of the UK’s eleven spinal injury units.
It’s clear that spending more time in nature has a positive impact on mental health. Research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) along with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has calculated that living with a regular view of a green space leads to health benefits worth approximately £300 per person per year. These are the benefits to the average UK resident, so I’ve no doubt that they are worth a lot more to someone recovering from serious injury.
It’s interesting that these bodies have put a financial value on the benefits of nature, when having access to green spaces is both essential and priceless. However, if that is what it takes for these kinds of projects to attract the resources required, then we do need to know the value of the benefits.
Understandably, spinal injury patients can be prone to anxiety and depression. They might spend three to nine months on a ward, going through rehabilitation after a serious accident, so having a beautiful outdoor space makes a massive difference to their recovery. Horatio’s Garden aims to create beautiful, accessible gardens to support rehabilitation, social connection and emotional wellbeing during challenging times for patients and their families.
The plans for the new garden at Middlesbrough’s unit, which serves a wide geographical area, include building two garden pavilions, a greenhouse and three sheds for storage and office use. The main building will be constructed off-site to minimise disruption at the hospital.
Architect EBBA is collaborating with landscape designer Studio Pollyanna, with the garden design having been “inspired by the rugged beauty of the north of England – its moors, coastline and expansive outdoors, as well as the region’s rich industrial and local heritage”.
The story behind the charity is interesting too, as it was founded after Horatio, the son of two doctors, volunteered at a spinal unit in his school holidays. He saw how much a garden would benefit the patients and began researching the idea. Sadly he died aged just 17 after his camp was attacked by a polar bear while on an expedition to Svalbard, but his garden idea lives on and has turned into multiple gardens.
Planning permission has been granted for the Middlesbrough project, which is the ninth Horatio’s Garden. Work is expected to begin soon, with the garden opening in 2027. The tenth garden project is also in the works, so presumably the charity will consider broadening its aims once the eleventh garden is underway.
Meanwhile, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
