Garden of Wellbeing Open Day at Stratford-upon-Avon Hosptial

The Garden of Wellbeing felt especially vibrant as we held an open day at Stratford‑upon‑Avon Hospital, inviting NHS staff, patients and the wider community to come together and enjoy the green spaces we care for with our Green Therapy groups. The garden is always open for people to enjoy, but this day offered a special opportunity for visitors to explore it more deeply, meet the people who care for it and experience the calm and connection that nature brings.

Throughout the event we welcomed people as they arrived, offering gentle tours of the Garden of Wellbeing for those visiting for the first time and guiding them through the peaceful corners, colourful planting and creative touches that make the space so cherished. Craft activities added a sense of creativity and fun and many enjoyed meeting the volunteers, coordinators and Green Therapy participants who help nurture the gardens throughout the year.

We were thrilled by the incredible turnout. Staff from so many departments across the hospital came out to see us, including familiar faces who regularly spend their lunch breaks in the garden and others who were discovering it for the first time and promised to return. We also met members of the wider community who have now signed up to volunteer and coordinators who plan to bring patients outdoors to benefit from the close connection to nature.

Days like this remind us why the Garden of Wellbeing matters. It supports mental health and wellbeing. It boosts urban biodiversity. It helps people learn new skills, meet new people and feel part of something meaningful. It offers local access to green space at a time when that is more important than ever. Most of all, it brings people together.

We are proud to create a space that is enjoyed by so many and grateful for the support that makes it possible. Thank you to Karen Parker, Amy Upchurch and everyone at South Warwickshire Foundation Trust and Stratford Hospital Clinic Service for championing this work. We look forward to continuing our presence on site, enhancing the green spaces even further and hosting more community events in the future.