New planters at Community Hospital

The council’s award-winning Green Spaces team joined forces with the hospital staff and a group of generous volunteers to create the colourful new areas in Sunnyside's patient gardens.

Ben Roffey, a sixth form student and volunteer at the hospital, approached Council Leader Stuart Bray for his support in trying to improve the gardens for patients.

Ben said: “I volunteer with both the hospital's Meaningful Activity Team and the council's Green Space Volunteers. At the hospital, I saw how much the patients enjoy being outdoors and I knew that helping to plant flowers there would brighten their days.

"Gardening is so good for everyone's wellbeing but it was difficult for some patients to bend down, so I asked Cllr Bray for his help to get some taller pots and some more plants. I also ran a Halloween-themed bake sale at Hinckley school and raised £127.73 for the hospital for the plants and other wellbeing activities.”

The council has provided the hospital with four planters, which were previously used in Hinckley town centre and were no longer needed, and have contributed £200 towards the cost of the plants.

The council's Green Spaces team helped to facilitate the project, designing and ordering the plants and getting everything planted.

The compost topsoil for the planters was kindly donated by JF Powners in Aston Flamville. They are the council's garden waste disposal contractor, and the soil was formed from the compost produced from the borough's green waste collections. Powners also donated a further £250 to the hospital for gardening and other patient activities.

Council Leader, Cllr Stuart Bray, said: “We were delighted to support Ben's great idea, and to help to add some colour and cheer to patients at the Community Hospital.

"It's been wonderful to see young people volunteering in the community and fundraising to support our older residents at a challenging time in their lives. Gardening is incredibly important for mental health, and being outdoors and surrounded by nature will be very helpful for the wellbeing of the hospital's patients.

"I'd also like to offer my thanks to our garden waste composters - the Powners family - who were so generous with their donations and support of this scheme."

Keryn Parish, from the hospital, added: "I'd like to thank the council's Green Spaces team, Powners, and all of our staff and volunteers for helping to install these planters and new flowers in the patient gardens.

"They have already brought a lot of joy to our residents. Ben and the other volunteers have shown what a huge difference people can make to the lives of others. If you'd like to volunteer and make a difference to your community, we offer lots of opportunities. Please get in touch by calling Tel . 0116 295 0918 or E: Lpt.volunteering@nhs.net”