Children's hospital garden goes from 'drab' to fab

16 hours ago

Caroline Gall

BBC News, West Midlands

Tim Lewis (seated left) joins medical staff, charity workers and other companies helping to create a beautiful garden for the children

Your RWTC A group of people sitting or standing in an area that is surrounded by blue walls and colourful columns. They include men from left to right Mark Wellings from UK Electrical, Tim Lewis, David Cotterill, both Inco Contracts and Myles Weldon DMW. Females - Louise Skyte, Jo Catchpole, both Inco Contracts, Amanda Winwood, Amie Rogers and Kirsty Lewis,all Your RWTC. — Tim Lewis (seated left) joins medical staff, charity workers and other companies helping to create a beautiful garden for the children

A "drab" children's hospital garden is undergoing a major makeover following a fundraising appeal.

An outdoor cinema screen and projector have been added at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, and new paintwork, windows, flooring and play equipment will be installed.

Fundraising by the parent of a patient began in 2024, with a company specialising in industrial, commercial and educational refurbishments doing the work for free.

"It has brought a drab and uninspiring space back to life, and now we can get down to building something that will stimulate, inspire and hopefully help children recover," said Amanda Winwood from Your RWTC, the registered charity of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Plans to revamp the space started after Jason Guy, who has previously raised money for the charity, suggested the garden appeal after he spent Christmas in 2023 in hospital with his young daughter, who was being treated for a genetic condition.

"It kicked off from there," she said.

"He got [former footballer] Neil 'Razor' Ruddock involved - he had a Wolves tattoo on his arm, and Jason had a Millwall tattoo, which raised £10,000 - and Jason kept increasing the target."

Mr Guy introduced the charity to the education refurbishment company, Inco, which decided to get involved.

Tim Lewis, associate director at Inco Contracts, said each year it chooses which charity to support and chose the Royal Wolverhampton Trust last year and decided to do as much as they could for free to enable the money raised to go towards play equipment.

Children in hospital beds can be wheeled outside to watch films at the cinema screen, says the charity

Your RWTC The colourful garden at the hospital. Planters are painted blue as are the walls. A hard floor has been put down with seating and new windows. — Children in hospital beds can be wheeled outside to watch films at the cinema screen, says the charity

The company has been painting and adding lighting and TV screens and the cinema feature.

"It was quite a drab garden, and we wanted to make it uplifting and have it accessible for all patients so we can now wheel a bed out," Ms Winwood said.

"Being in hospital is scary for anybody, but imagine being a child... you're used to playing in your garden, and that's what we want to give back. It's part of the rehabilitation for their journey."

She said without the community making donations, they cannot "make above and beyond what the NHS provides", which is how the hospital charity helps and enables families and patients to use the facility.

She said lots of people wanted to be involved and "make a difference" for the children at the hospital.

Ms Winwood said they welcomed anyone who wanted to become a charity volunteer and maintain the garden area and added that future projects were also being planned.

"Just continue supporting us, as we really do just want to make a difference," she said.

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