The need for a “space to breathe” at the Jarvis Centre in Guildford, Surrey, an NHS site providing medical services from Paediatrics to Breast Cancer Screening, was identified through a consultation process run by the RHS and the NHS in 2023.

No staff room – no problem!

The grounds of the Jarvis Centre were neglected, overgrown and had been subject to antisocial behaviour. Staff felt that a well-designed garden looked after by the community could help foster pride in the local area. It would also provide staff with an area to sit and eat their lunch, as there is no staff room inside the building.

Zareena Lilley-Wane, NHS Wellbeing & Inclusion Practitioner, says:

“I ran wellbeing sessions with staff where we identified the need for a space to pray, to have lunch and generally mix with other staff.”

Creating a garden would allow teams to decompress and take a moment for themselves during a busy day in a clinical environment and give them a place where they could socialise with colleagues. It would also offer people an area to pray, or for patients and their families to reflect on news following diagnosis or treatment.

Lettie Irving, RHS Senior Community Outreach Advisor, says:

“The staff on site were lacking any space to take time away from their often-stressful days. The garden offers a peaceful sanctuary for staff and patients to take time to breathe.”

After consultations with staff, the vision became reality in early 2024. RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden designer Dave Green met with the NHS teams, including those in community nursing and paediatrics, to create a garden that met the needs of those who would be using it the most.

The garden came to life in February 2024, thanks to a team effort from landscaper Dave Wallbridge from DW Outdoor Living, NHS Property Services members and RHS staff and students. The dedicated team worked from Monday to Friday, through pouring rain, to transform the previously unused space into a uniquely designed, welcoming garden. The team installed a path through the garden as well as a wooden seating area and a sheltered space for workshops to take place. They also laid wildflower turf and planted herbaceous plants and shrubs, allowing visitors to be truly immersed in nature. Tools to help maintain the garden were kindly donated by GARDENA tools.

Charlotte Ashe, RHS Secondary Education Facilitator who volunteered on this project, says:

“It felt good to work hard towards a common goal and to see the outcome so quickly. The transformation was exhilarating!”

In April 2024, the garden was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by NHS and RHS staff. Guests potted up alpines and herbs, tried nature journaling and collaboratively named the garden – the winning vote was ‘The Jolly Jarvis Garden’. NHS Wellbeing & Inclusion Practitioner Zareena Lilley-Wane, who was instrumental in advocating for a garden to be built, said: “I had a dream about having a garden, but the space provided is even better than I could have imagined. Even just 20 minutes in nature can be very powerful. The garden is a way of valuing frontline staff.”

NHS staff member says:

“It’s a lovely space for staff, especially as we don’t have any communal spaces inside. It provides a place for us to mix across teams.”

Going forward, the space will be maintained by the NHS garden maintenance team and NHS staff volunteer team. Outdoor workshops with staff have already been taking place on-site and will continue to run each month, led by the RHS Community Outreach team. So far, staff have made craft decorations and medicinal lavender bags. These sessions in the new space encourage staff to get outside and reconnect with nature while also learning a new skill.

Catherine Aikin-Sneath, Jarvis Centre Administrator, says:

“The garden lifts my spirits just to walk past it, especially now the greenery is starting visibly to grow. You’ve really worked magic there.”

The Jarvis Centre Wellbeing Garden is one of six gardens being built around England in collaboration with the NHS Property Services. Service users have been involved with the designs to ensure the gardens address each site's individual needs.

Funded by NHS Property Services as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programme, the gardens aim to improve the biodiversity of community-based healthcare centres, while also creating outdoor spaces suitable for green social prescribing and other therapeutic treatment. This programme is funded separately from funding used for frontline care.

If you would like to fund future NHS wellbeing gardens, make a donation today.