A HOSPITAL garden has sprung to life thanks to hardworking volunteers.
Trustees of charity Evelyn’s Gift – which provides life-saving training and acts of kindness – and volunteers from Jaguar Land Rover, worked together to recreate the outdoor space at St Michael’s Hospital – a mental health facility in Warwick.
Three garden areas have been brightened up thanks to plants provided by Barn Close Nurseries in Warwick. One garden, previously out of use due to trip hazards, has also been made safe for patients to enjoy.
The day also saw the opening of a new family room with Warwick Mayor Christine Cross. Volunteers from Evelyn’s Gift transformed the neglected room into a relaxing space for patients and their families, including a mural featuring Evelyn’s Gift’s ‘Be happy’ logo – a smiley face Evelyn drew for her mum when she was sad.
Evelyn’s Gift founder Helen Smith, whose daughter Evelyn died suddenly in 2013, said: “I suffer from PTSD and so I am very conscious of how mental health problems can affect anyone. I hope that this project, in memory of Evelyn, will go some way to help people cope with mental illness.”
