We’re proud to share that work has officially begun on the ninth Horatio’s Garden, for the Golden Jubilee Regional Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, part of University Hospitals Tees.

Walter Thompson has been appointed to deliver this transformative garden, and we couldn’t be more honoured to bring our expertise in healthcare construction to a project that will make such a profound difference to the lives of patients, families and NHS staff across the North East.

Once complete, the garden will support thousands of people who spend time at the centre, patients recovering from spinal injuries, their families and friends, and the NHS staff who care for them.

The design includes a large central courtyard garden, welcoming garden rooms, and an Alitex greenhouse where patients can grow their own plants and vegetables. It’s more than a green space. It will become a critical part of rehabilitation care for people travelling from across a vast catchment area, from the Scottish border in the north, to Barrow in the west and Whitby in the east.

The garden has been expertly designed by award-winning landscape designer Polly Wilkinson and the team at Studio Pollyanna, in collaboration with EBBA Architects. Polly has won RHS medals at both the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows, as well as two People’s Choice Awards, and has documented the design journey with her hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram over the past year. 

Before any designs were drawn up, Polly and her team met with people living with spinal injuries, as well as members of the NHS team, to understand their experiences and hopes for the space. Those insights have shaped every part of the garden, helping create a restorative, accessible and uplifting environment for everyone who will use it.

The project has been funded entirely by public donations, with generous support from Gibson O’Neill and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, the National Garden Scheme, The Julia Rausing Trust, the Our Hospitals Charity, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Bernard Sunley Foundation. It’s a powerful reminder of just how much the local and national community believes in the value of this work.

Katie Tait, CEO of Horatio’s Garden, said: “We are beyond excited to have started our ninth Horatio’s Garden here. It’s going to be an extraordinary garden and we know from all our impact work how profoundly it will improve the lives of people with spinal injuries and their families and friends. Being here today with a digger, it’s hard to imagine that in a year’s time it will be jam-packed with flowers and trees, and patients will be sitting in the garden room with family and friends, immersed in nature.” 

Paul Hammerton, Managing Director at Walter Thompson Contractors, said: “We’re honoured to be breaking ground on such a meaningful project for Horatio’s Garden. Having delivered a number of healthcare and rehabilitation schemes, we’ve seen first-hand the difference a well-designed outdoor space can make to patient recovery and wellbeing. We’re proud to bring that same level of care and expertise The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, part of University Hospitals Tees, and we look forward to seeing this garden come to life for the patients, families and staff who will benefit from it.”

Stacey Hunter, CEO of The James Cook University Hospital said: “Horatio’s Garden will transform the lives of patients, families and staff at James Cook University Hospital. I’ve seen how vital these gardens are to people’s rehabilitation at other spinal centres in the UK, and I know that this new garden will have a profoundly positive impact on everyone’s health and wellbeing right here in the heart of Middlesbrough.” 

Horatio’s Garden at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, part of University Hospitals Tees is due to complete in Spring 2027. 

www.horatiosgarden.org.uk