Ismail's Garden

 Who is Ismail, What is his garden and Why is this important?

Ismail is a past patient at the children's hospital at the RVI, who wrote an inspirational letter asking about making the hospital a greener, happier place. Within, this letter he included that he would like a place to play and grow.

If you have ever visited the children ward, you would would have seen the existing playground, and fair to say it is outdated and is not accessible for all children. We want to change that, this space needs to be accessible for all, a place to relax and play while being in nature.

 So, discussions with Nurses, Doctors and sustainability have begun to change this area and adopt Ismail's idea of a place to play and grow but us adults within the office can not say what is wanted and needed by the families and most importantly the children.  This is where the children get to have input with our garden design competition, where we have asked them to draw their dream gardens to provide ideas and bring them to life!

So, why is this important? well outdoor spaces have many benefits some obvious as physical health, but also mentally as they are shown to reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain and in general provide a space away from the hospital wards. It is our wish to provide more of this spaces to give staff, families and patients a place to get away from the stress of hospitals, somewhere to relax and feel more connect to the environment while spending time with loved ones.