Construction Begins on Staff Reflection Garden at Peterborough City Hospital

The development of a reflection and wellbeing garden for staff at Peterborough City Hospital has commenced. The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is providing the £40,000 in funding for this initiative, aligning with its dedication to enhancing the mental well-being of its staff. Jennie Grainger, who serves as the lead volunteer gardener for the trust’s Peterborough Cancer Wellbeing Service, is responsible for the garden’s design. Its features encompass creative planting arrangements, innovative seating, and designated meeting areas intended for the remembrance of trust colleagues who have passed away. This project aims to standardize the Peterborough garden with similar facilities already established at Stamford and Rutland Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon. The initial set of all-weather meeting pods has been installed and is now operational. Additional elements planned for the reflection garden comprise Italian cypress trees, which will be housed in large, recycled glass fibre containers treated to resemble metal, alongside five fruit trees. A handmade memorial focal point, featuring a sculpture created by local metal artist Jeni Cairns, is also slated to be included. This will provide an opportunity for staff members to hang metal leaves, each engraved with the names of their colleagues, as a tribute to their memory. Philip Fearn, the charity project manager for the trust, stated: “We had some feedback from staff about the existing memorial garden and took on board their thoughts about how this could be elevated to make it not only a reflective space to remember colleagues who have passed away but also a beautiful, tranquil and functional space.” For updates on Peterborough news, individuals can follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s policy on external linking is available.