Princess Anne opens garden in spinal injuries unit

HRH The Princess Royal opened an outdoor space developed by charity Horatio's Garden at the Northern General Hospital

The Princess Royal has opened an accessible garden for patients at a spinal cord injuries unit to enjoy.

Princess Anne attended the opening ceremony at the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre, which is part of the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, yesterday.

The outdoor space was developed and will be run by spinal injury charity Horatio's Garden, and was based on a design by Harris Bugg Studio that won best in show at the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show in 2023.

The charity's founder, Dr Olivia Chapple OBE, said: "It's an incredible feeling; seeing patients explore this garden for the first time was one of the most moving experiences."

Horatio's Garden founder Olivia Chapple said she was inspired by her late son, who volunteered at a spinal injury unit

It is the eighth garden installed in a spinal injury unit by the charity since the first was opened in 2012.

Mrs Chapple was inspired by her teenage son, Horatio Chapple, who had come up with the idea whilst volunteering at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury in 2010.

He died in 2011, aged 17, after he was killed by a polar bear on an expedition in Svalbard, Norway.

"He recognised that people really needed somewhere that was beautiful and natural to get away from the ward environment - he did the research and set up all the plans," Mrs Chapple said.

"It's about creating an environment that really enhances rehabilitation for people who are facing life-changing injuries and trauma, and giving them a space that feels like home."

Actor George Robinson said the garden could help patients reconnect with life outside hospital

Nottingham-born actor George Robinson, an appeal ambassador for the project, called the garden "incredible".

He was a patient at the spinal injuries unit for almost eight months in 2015, after suffering a severe spinal injury during a game of rugby when he was 17, which left him quadriplegic.

He said: "When you spend so much time in hospital, you're focused on your physical rehabilitation, but as the days go by, you realise you also need that mental rehabilitation - sometimes that clinical environment isn't the best place for that.

"You can feel separated from the world, but a garden connects you back to it."

He added the space would give patients a "sense of purpose" by taking part in activities such as gardening.

Patient James Hunter said he was going to celebrate his birthday in the garden

Current patient James Hunter, who has a rare autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome, said the five months he had spent in hospital had been "disconnecting".

"The condition attacked my whole body, and the thing that's most affected currently is my arms, so I can't use a phone or reach out to people online.

However, he said spaces like the garden "really help bring people together".

He said he was planning on celebrating his birthday in the garden next week, and that it was "lovely" to join the opening ceremony.

"Long term, it's just a case of getting some fresh air when possible, weather depending, and keeping on with the recovery."

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