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Horatio’s Garden is a UK national charity creating and nurturing beautiful, accessible gardens in NHS spinal injury centres across the country to support the physical and psychological rehabilitation of everyone affected by a spinal injury. They intend to begin building Horatio’s Garden in Northern Ireland in 2023 and conclude later in the year.
We were invited to attend the official launch of the project during an event at Larchfield Estate in Country Antrim. Harry McAleese and Tanya Waterworth, both partners at McCartan Turkington Breen, spent the evening learning about Horatio’s Garden and the story behind the concept.
The evening was one of excitement and hope as spinal injury experts from various professions and interested donors came together to lend support for Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland.
Tanya said: “It was an insightful evening and I believe Horatio’s Garden will be extremely well received by patients right across Northern Ireland who are adjusting to life with a spinal injury.”
The charity has begun fundraising to bring one of its award-winning gardens to the heart of Belfast. Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland will be the charity’s seventh project to date and will be at The Spinal Cord Injuries Unit in Musgrave Park Hospital.
The spinal unit at Musgrave serves patients from across the entirety of Northern Ireland, therefore the new garden will be a vital sanctuary for people adjusting to, or caring for someone with, life-changing spinal injuries as they face long stays in hospital far from home.
Harry said: “Patients being able to enjoy a relaxed and picturesque setting during recovery is such a simple idea, but one that carries significant weight when put into practice. Experts in spinal injuries would agree that time removed from a clinical setting only stands to benefit the patient.”
Eight-time RHS Chelsea Gold Medal Winner, Andy Sturgeon, is designing the garden. Once open, it will be cared for by a Head Gardener and a dedicated team of volunteers who will not only tend the planting, but also organise and run both gardening and creative workshops to support patients throughout their rehabilitation.
Horatio’s Garden is funded entirely by donations. If they’re successful in raising funds, the charity plan to begin building Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland from the beginning of 2023, with a view to opening in autumn 2023. If you would like to make a donation towards the garden, visit Make a Donation.
