Supported by Europe’s leading watering and hand tools brand, GARDENA, a new wellbeing garden has officially opened at The Royal Oldham Hospital, creating a restorative green space where patients, families, staff and visitors can pause, recharge and connect with nature.
The newly completed space has been built on the site of the former Fountain Garden, a much-loved centrepiece of the hospital grounds and a cherished place of remembrance for those who have passed away. Its transformation honours this legacy while creating a more beautiful, accessible, and biodiversity-friendly garden that meets the needs of today’s hospital community.
Opened on Wednesday, October 21, the project is the result of a partnership between the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, NorthCare Charity and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
GARDENA was among the organisations supporting the project, donating gardening tools to help bring the new space to life and providing hands-on support through employee volunteers who helped with planting.
Rebecca Robertson, Senior Digital Marketing Specialist at GARDENA who joined colleagues in volunteering on the project, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have played a part in bringing The Royal Oldham Hospital’s new wellbeing garden to life. At GARDENA, we’re passionate about helping more people experience and enjoy green spaces, so it has been fantastic to support a project that will make a real difference to people using the hospital.
The new garden breathes fresh life into the hospital’s historic Fountain Garden, a cherished green space dating back to the 1930s. Led by award-winning landscape designer and RHS Ambassador Adam Frost, the redesign combines new seating with climate-resilient, wildlife-friendly planting, including fruiting trees, shrubs and pollinator-friendly species.
Speaking at the opening, Claire Matterson CBE, Director General of the RHS said: “This is a garden that has been part of the hospital for almost a century. It means a great deal to staff, to patients, and the local community, so we had to approach this with care, patience, and with great respect.
“Gardens and restorative outdoor spaces should be considered an essential part of healthcare design and investments.”
Kevin McGee, Interim Chief Executive at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust: “In a clinical environment, where we are dealing with some of the most difficult things that people can imagine, both from a personal and a family perspective, being able to step outside into a space like this and decompress is something you simply can’t put a pound value on.”
