Volunteers come together to transform local hospital gardens

More than 30 local volunteers have given two gardens at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch a major transformation, creating a welcoming space for patients, visitors, and staff.

The gardens were officially opened on Saturday 30 August by the Mayor of Redditch, Joanna Kane, alongside local volunteers from the Redditch 41 Club and hospital staff.

The project, led by Redditch 41 Club – part of the Redditch Round Table family – turned an overgrown courtyard near the Same Day Emergency Care unit into a bright and accessible garden with new seating, decorative features, fresh gravel, bark and planting as well as refurbishing the League of Friends coffee shop garden.

Additionally, what started as a plan to tidy up the League of Friends coffee shop garden quickly grew into a full-scale refurbishment effort. The League of Friends coordinated the transformation with hospital staff and supported volunteers throughout the project, providing refreshments during the transformation of the gardens.

The work was carried out over three weeks and included support from local businesses and volunteers from as far away as Melton Mowbray. The Redditch 41 Club designed and installed the garden centrepieces and fitted benches to make the space more accessible.

Peter Dance, Chair of Redditch 41 Club, said: “I am incredibly proud of the work that the Redditch 41 Club has accomplished. It may have started as a small idea, but the entire team came together to make it a reality. I’m truly proud of this achievement. The Redditch Round Table raises money for Redditch people and without their help this wouldn’t have happened.

“The transformation was a genuine community effort. The Redditch 41 Club would like to extend a huge thank you to several other Redditch organisations, including Redditch Round Table, Ladies Circle, Never mind, Tangent, Morris Mica, Davis’s Aggregates, Dorma plant hire, and Robinsons tree surgery for their contributions.