ARTISTIC youngsters have helped spruce up an outdoor space for brain injury patients at Leamington Hospital.
Pupils, and teachers, from Campion School worked with staff from the hospital’s Central England Rehabilitation Unit to create colourful artwork which has been put up in the hospital grounds.
They designed ten nature-based boards to brighten up a fence running alongside the Allsopp Ward.
The fencing – which patients regularly pass when visiting the site’s garden – was installed to cover essential hospital ventilation equipment. The makeover has now made the space more enjoyable for patients, visitors and staff and comes as part of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust’s (SWF) three year Green Plan to improve outdoor spaces across its sites.
Kathy Wagstaff, Clinical Lead for Leamington Hospital, said: “The gardens at Leamington Hospital provide welcoming spaces for patients and families to be able to spend time outdoors. The large fence that covers the air handling unit is necessary, but did look uninspiring. It is wonderful that Campion School have been able to provide such fantastic artwork. It’s heart-warming to know that there are people willing to donate time and funding to organisations such as ours to improve the patient environment and experience”.
While Daljit Kooner-Sandhu, Campion School Head of Art said, “We felt privileged to have been offered a great opportunity for our students to participate in this prestigious, community-based project and we hope the designs produced will brighten up the environment for staff, patients and their families at the rehabilitation hospital. Our students have expressed their joy and excitement in producing the artwork throughout the project”.
The artwork was funded by the Allsopp family, with cash raised in memory of Martin Allsopp – a much-loved porter at Leamington Hospital, who passed away due to Covid in 2021.
Luke Allsopp, Martin’s son, said: “My father would be so humbled that the money raised will be going towards a brilliant project like this. We know the artwork will bring a smile to the patients’ faces, something my dad tried to do every day he was at the hospital”.
