***** Green Care Quality Mark Awarded Jan 2023 *****
The Forest of Hearts charity is creating an edible Garden of Wellbeing at Stratford Upon Avon Hospital to deliver health benefits to over 85,000 patients, staff and visitors each year. The garden will comprise of 15 raised beds located outside the new Cancer and Eye Treatment units.
Providing both a tranquil and educational space for staff, patients and visitors, the garden will supply fresh food to Café Lomas, the new health and wellbeing hub within the hospital. It will also provide an outdoor working space for people in the area who are experiencing feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression for a variety of reasons.
Designed to celebrate and create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, each raised bed will illustrate the importance of businesses working together to create a better world, with a focus on the physical and mental health benefits of gardening, eating healthily, biodiversity and working outdoors as a community. The garden will be the first of its kind, potentially becoming a template for other hospitals across the UK