Princess Anne has opened a new outdoor rehabilitation garden for patients with spinal cord injuries at Sheffield’s spinal injuries centre.
The Princess Royal visited the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre at the Northern General Hospital yesterday to formally open the accessible garden.
Designed by Harris Bugg Studio and developed and run by spinal injury charity Horatio’s Garden, the space is based on a design that won best in show at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2023.
It is the eighth therapeutic garden created by the charity since 2012, providing outdoor environments tailored for people with spinal cord injuries—damage to the spinal cord that can lead to paralysis and loss of sensation.
Dr Olivia Chapple OBE, the charity’s founder, said: “It’s an incredible feeling; seeing patients explore this garden for the first time was one of the most moving experiences.”
She added: “It’s about creating an environment that really enhances rehabilitation for people who are facing life-changing injuries and trauma, and giving them a space that feels like home.”
The charity was inspired by Mrs Chapple’s son, Horatio, who came up with the idea while volunteering at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury in 2010.
“He recognised that people really needed somewhere that was beautiful and natural to get away from the ward environment – he did the research and set up all the plans,” said Mrs Chapple.
Horatio died in 2011 at the age of 17, after being killed by a polar bear during an expedition in Svalbard, Norway. His mother founded the charity to carry forward his vision of creating restorative gardens for spinal injury patients across the UK.
