Can you help Grantham Hospital’s emergency assessment unit create a ‘nice, colourful’ garden in a space that is ‘desperate for a facelift’?

An appeal for garden items has been launched by a department at Grantham Hospital, as the team seeks to “jazz up” an outdoor space.

Emily Darby, a deputy sister on the emergency assessment unit (EAU) at Grantham Hospital, is asking for people and businesses to donate plants, hanging baskets and other items.

These items will allow the EAU team to improve a large courtyard within the department, so it can be enjoyed by patients.

Emily, born and bred in Grantham, said: “We are planning on revamping our outside space for our patients.

“We have a huge courtyard within our department that’s desperate for a facelift.

“It’s hard for us to fundraise and we rely on community support for our projects to enhance patients’ stay with us.”

Emily is hoping that both members of the public and local businesses will be able to help with the garden project, and is even donating a few items herself from home.

She continued: “The people of Grantham normally pull together to support the hospital.

“We would prefer items over money, but I don’t see an issue with donations of gift vouchers.

“We are just after anything nice. Hanging baskets, raised bedding plants, outdoor lights. We would be desperate for a hose.

“We want to make it look pretty.”

The Harrowby ward at the hospital is also doing a similar project, and Emily said that the donations can be split between the two spaces.

Emily explained that the current outdoor furniture in the EAU courtyard is “not ideal” for patients, but replacements have been ordered using charitable funds.

She added: “It’s quite an enclosed area. It can’t be accessed by anywhere else.

“It would be good to offer it to patients.”

The EAU can care for 28 patients but has very few entertainment provisions, explained Emily.

“In summer, it would be nice for patients to sit outside, just for their well-being. It’s good for mental health.

“Coming back from Covid and re-establishing as a team, it is something we all wanted to do for our patients. It is something we have wanted to do for years and years, but since redeployment we have said, ‘let’s do it and make the garden nice and colourful’. It just needs jazzing up a bit.”

If you can help by donating garden items, email: sharon.kidd@ulh.nhs.uk