Momentum children’s charity has teamed up with local award-winning garden designer Tom Massey to create a beautiful and tranquil ‘Secret Garden’ for children and teenagers at Kingston Hospital.

The garden, hidden away in the corner of the children’s play area at Kingston Hospital, provides a calm environment for children and their families, somewhere where they can escape the hustle and bustle of a busy hospital and sit amongst beautiful plants for some peace and quiet.

It has been designed specifically for children and teenagers supported by Momentum children’s charity and Kingston Hospital, including children and adolescents with mental health issues, special needs children, teenagers needing to ‘chill out’ away from the busy playground (used by toddlers and small children), children undergoing treatment for cancer and also hospital staff (when not being used by families).

The project by Landscape & Garden Design, AZARA Gardens Limited and The Garden Trellis Company has been supported by The Generations Foundation and Momentum Echoes.

Kingston Hospital’s Paediatric Clinicial Practice Facilitator Jamie Patel said: “The moment you walk into the ‘secret garden’ you feel an overwhelming sense of calm and peace. It is truly beautiful and will provide wonderful respite for so many children and their families.”

Tom Massey, who won an RHS Gold Medal and ‘Best Conceptual Garden’ at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2016, said: “This has been a fantastic and rewarding project to work on. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with the passionate and dedicated Momentum team to create a new garden space for the patients of the children’s oncology ward at Kingston Hospital. I hope the garden will provide some respite and a peaceful place to escape the stressful hospital environment for the children and their families in incredibly difficult times.”

Kingston-based charity Momentum supports families of children with cancer and life-limiting conditions in SW London and Surrey. It receives no government funding so relies entirely on the support of the public and funds raised through its charity work. To find out more about the charity visit www.moment-um.org

Article supplied by Yvonne Winborn