Our Breathing Space Garden for colleagues is officially open
During recent months, the garden behind the Post Graduate Medical Centre at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) has undergone a remarkable makeover.
With donations received during the pandemic, Plymouth Hospitals Charity has funded the building of this new, serene garden. The main drive behind this special space is for colleagues to be able to reflect, refresh and destress - in turn, ensuring they can deliver the best patient care possible.
The Breathing Space Garden at PGMC is situated behind the Derriford Centre for Health and Wellbeing for our colleagues to be able to meet outdoors. As well as space to shelter from the weather, this garden also has a large sustainable eating area where colleagues can sit in an area near the nature reserve, be social and share food together, have some fun, good conversation and have some time out when work is hard.
Kerry Dungay, Postgraduate Centre Manager, shares just how COVID-19 limitations affected the role of the centre in terms of colleague’s health and wellbeing and how strongly the loss of social spaces was felt by the learners who frequent the centre. “This private breathing space, away from the hospital, allows you to go back to your role and be a better clinician, a better administrator, a better member of hotel services, a better colleague. I’m really proud of this garden. It has developed into everything I hoped when first dreaming up the concept and plans for this space to just pause.”
As Corinne Bailey, Charity Manager explains, “The Breathing Space Garden is for colleagues to visit to get away from their working environments. The idea of a dedicated place for colleagues to be able to take a real break was born from the pandemic and the truly generous donations we have received from our community. We are really proud of the garden and the difference this will make to colleagues for many years to come. We are hugely grateful to all of you who donated to the charity to make this happen.”
