Building work on our £150,000 therapy garden to benefit stroke and dementia patients is now underway.
The North Tees Kaleidostroke Therapy Garden will form part of the stroke unit at the University Hospital of North Tees. The space will provide support to stroke, dementia and elderly patients and their families as part of their hospital care.
It comes after our charity, North Tees and Hartlepool Together, was successful in a grant application for £150,000 – funded by a 5p cup charge at Starbucks.
The therapy garden will feature walking rehabilitation facilities, specialist equipment for building muscle, cognitive learning activities and more. It aims to improve patient rehabilitation, provide holistic therapy and allow patients to regain their independence.
The project has been driven by Chris Lawson, a specialised therapy assistant who has since retired from her role at the Trust. Although retired, Chris is still actively involved in the garden.
She said: “There’s only so much of a ceiling or wall that patients can look at. Going through that garden gate will make all the difference to mental wellness and physical health.
“And not just for patients, but for those visiting their loved ones in hospital as well, especially younger children.”
The garden has been designed to actively engage patients in both one-on-one and group therapy sessions, including speech and language, physiotherapy and psychology. It will also boast rest and relaxation areas so that patients can enjoy time away from the clinical ward with their visitors.
And the area isn’t just for hospital inpatients. When the garden isn’t being used for therapy sessions, it will provide a welcoming green space where discharged and community patients can make use of the provisions.
“I’m elated”
Chris continued: “The garden came about because I was coming up to retirement and was reflecting on my life. I wanted to leave something behind for other people, to know in my head that I’d done some good.
“Seeing the garden come to life just gives me that feel good factor. I’m elated like you wouldn’t believe. I get a buzz whenever I pop by the development and I see something different.”
“I can’t thank everyone who’s been involved in this enough. And I hope that when the garden’s ready, the patients will love it just as much as I already do.”
The garden was funded through the Greener Communities Fund. The fund is administered by NHS Charities Together in partnership with Starbucks and environmental charity, Hubbub.
Building work is being carried out by Tangent Construction and is set to be complete in spring this year.