New-look for Bo’ness Hospital garden after £15,000 revamp

News

The outdoor space at Bo’ness Community Hospital has been transformed into an oasis of colour, thanks to community efforts and £15,000 of National Lottery funding.

The revamped outdoor space at Bo’ness was officially opened over the weekend (Sunday, June 12). Bo’ness Fair Queen Ellie Van Der Hoek cut a ribbon to declare the garden open, ably assisted by patient Margaret King (102). The Bo’ness Belles singing group then entertained visitors and patients at a special garden party.

Bo’net – the Bo’ness Networking Group – has been working for the past year to breathe fresh life into the garden, off ward one.

Madelene Hunt, the chair of Bo’net, said: “It’s wonderful to see the garden completed. It was looking so tired a year ago. The transformation of the space has been incredible.

“I hope the refreshed garden will be a real hit with the elderly patients in the hospital, plus staff and visitors.”

The project was made possible thanks to an award of £15,000 from the Life Changes Trust. The Trust was funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The revamp delivered:

  • new raised flower beds and hanging baskets;
  • wheelchair-accessible fruit and vegetable beds;
  • new seating for patients and visitors – including wooden arbours;
  • a water fountain to attract birds into the garden;
  • garden wall mosaics, using dementia-friendly colours;
  • vintage advertising signs on repainted, colourful fences; plus
  • storage space for garden tools and furniture.

A side on view of the seating area with laid grass, a bird feeder fountain and potted plants

Maria Ford from Bo’net said: “There’s a mix of patients within Bo’ness Hospital. We worked closely with staff, patients and their families to finalise ideas for the garden transformation.

“We were also fortunate to have some wonderful volunteers to help carry out the work, supported by amazing National Lottery funding. We’d like to thank all the Lottery players who ultimately made this project possible.”

Hanging sign from Garden Arch reads "welcome to ward 1 garden"

Photography provided by Adrian Mahoney, The PR Store, on behalf of the Bo’ness Networking Group.

Irene Martin, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s Clinical Nurse Manager responsible for Bo’ness Hospital, said the garden would make a real difference to patients.

“Bo’net have been hugely enthusiastic about helping the hospital. Their enthusiasm attracted much-needed funding to drive this project forward.

“Sitting in a garden, surrounded by flowers and birdsong, is a wonderful health benefit and gives our patients an opportunity to share precious time with their loved ones.”

Bo’net appointed local social enterprise Sustainable Thinking Scotland (STS), based at the walled garden at nearby Kinneil Estate, to help deliver the garden project. STS director Sean Kerr said: “The project has been great. We were thrilled to be part of it.”

Text and images courtesy of Adrian Mahoney, The PR Store www.theprstore.co.uk and Bo’ness Networking Group, www.bonet.org.uk

Bo’net is a charity representing groups across the Bo’ness area. It aims to support the development of community organisations and make the area a better place to live and work. Recent projects have included the creation of a new tourist map for Bo’ness and Blackness and support for new audio guides. Bo’net is a SCIO – a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation – registered with OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator. The charity number is SC049848.