Work on wellbeing garden at MND centre begins

The garden will have areas of children to play and will be wheelchair friendly

Work has begun on a wellbeing garden for patients, families and staff at the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds.

Named after the late Leeds Rhinos star, the £6.8m facility, at Seacroft Hospital, will offer care and support to those with the condition and their relatives.

As part of the plans the garden will "extend the centre's therapeutic focus, creating calm, welcoming spaces that offer moments of connection and reflection", a Leeds NHS Teaching Hospital spokesperson said.

The garden will feature a sapling grown from a seed from the Sycamore Gap tree as well as the handprints of Burrow's wife and children cast in concrete.

Rob Burrow, pictured with his wife and his two daughters, was diagnosed with MND in 2019

Craige Richardson, director for estates and facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: "We're really excited to mark the beginning of the planting works.

"With more than 5,000 plants, and a limited time in which to plant, this will be a busy time as we countdown to the centre opening to patients this autumn."

Burrow died in June 2024, aged 41, after being diagnosed with MND in December 2019.

Prior to his death he said he hoped the new centre would be a "beacon of hope and support," adding: "My dream is that every person who walks through these doors feels supported, understood, and never alone. This centre is for all of us, our shared sanctuary."

The garden is being designed by landscape architect firm re-form, who said: "With the specialist nature of this facility, we worked with the clinical teams and MND patients to gain a detailed understanding of the needs of all those who will use the outdoor spaces at the centre – including patients, carers and families of those affected by the disease."

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