Scouts help improve ICU garden at KGH
A local Scout group, supported by two local councillors, have cleaned up and planted flowers in the Intensive Care Rehabilitation Garden at Kettering General Hospital.
Eliska, Georgia, and Chelsea from the 5th Kettering Scouts Group are pictured doing the work on June 29 after also arranging funding for it.
They were accompanied by two St Peter Ward Councillors for Kettering Town Council, Cllr Steve Geary and Cllr Lee Watkiss, who they enlisted to clean-up, weed, and plant three trays of flowers.
Kettering General Hospital opened the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) garden in 2023 as an area where intensive care patients could sit during rehabilitation near to the hospital’s main entrance.
5th Kettering Scout Group donated plants from funds raised after the annual Whitsun plant sale and decided to help the ICU garden to bring joy to those in need.
Shirley Chester, a healthcare assistant in ICU at Kettering General Hospital, who is also chair at 5th Kettering Scouts, said, “The Scouts really enjoyed planting and they hope their efforts would bring comfort and joy to those who use the garden.
“We would also like to thank local councillors Steve Geary and Lee Watkiss who lent their support and organised tools, compost and hard labour.”
Sarah Denham-Haynes, Scout leader, said: “Their efforts could lead to the scouts eventually gaining community and environment badges”.
It wasn’t Sarah’s first experience in the garden her brother Marc Hopkins was one of the first ICU patients to use the garden in April 2023.
ICU matron Jo Snow said “We are so grateful to the 5th Kettering Scouts that gave their time, beautiful plants, and helped us to further improve our ICU rehabilitation garden.
“This is an area where our patients can spend some time outside in a pleasing environment, particularly during the summer. We thank Shirley, Sarah, Scouts, Steve and Lee for their amazing efforts which are very much appreciated.”
This garden has been sponsored by both the Northamptonshire Health Charity and Bosworth’s Garden Centre.