Green fingers at the ready!

Service users and staff have worked together to design and create a new garden.

The new outdoor space at Chippendale ward, Fieldhead, features plants and flowers including Mongolian giant sunflowers which can grow up to 14ft tall and fruits and vegetables including strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes.

“We wanted to give all our service users a space that could bring them closer together” said Gareth Creighton, ward orderly supervisor at Newton Lodge.

“They’re very excited to get stuck in. They’ve been involved every step of the way, from the planning, to the building and now to looking after it. The garden is a place made by them, for them”.

The garden was given funding by the Trust’s charitable funds committee, who support resources and activities beyond NHS funding.

And much like the fruits of it, the hope is that the new garden will be something everyone can benefit from time and time again.

“It’s about service users learning new skills like gardening as much as enjoying what they grow.

“Now we just hope for some good weather!”