A brand new garden – made in Bradford, for Bradford – has opened at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) for staff, patients and visitors to enjoy!
The fantastic outdoor space, next to Costa on the BRI’s main concourse, was designed by Chris Clarke, Head Gardener at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (BTHFT), and produced in-house by the Estates Grounds team.
The beautiful area offers everyone ample space for the chance to relax, reflect and enjoy the lovely weather in a calm environment.
At an opening ceremony attended by Chief Executive, Professor Mel Pickup, colleagues from all over the Trust saw Gardener Craig Charlton doing the honours to cut the ribbon on behalf of Chris, who was on leave.
Chris said:
As part of my job interview when applying for BTHFT, I drew up the design for this garden for providing a space for the welfare of staff. My inspiration for the garden came from an Italian café garden with Cyprus trees and terracotta pots, which would be well-suited next to Costa on our concourse. I had no idea my designs would end up actually being used for the actual project!
I’m proud of myself and the team for contributing a small part to the welfare of others, with something we can leave behind at the hospital for everyone to benefit from. I’m delighted to hear it’s very popular and well-used already.
After months of planning, the project started in February 2023 with colleagues from the Trust’s Estates teams handling the labour involved and putting in the hours – even on weekends.
The garden was created for patients, visiting families and staff to enjoy and relax in for their wellbeing. Plans are in place to develop other spaces around the Trust’s hospitals for this purpose too.
Estates Manager, Paul Noble added:
We’re proud of the hard work and dedication from all our colleagues involved – from inception to end product, the project was done as a team in-house. All the plastic used in the garden was from recycled plastic and we sourced all the materials and products from local suppliers. The garden is truly made in Bradford, for Bradford!
