New NHS Wellbeing Garden to open at Royal Oldham Hospital
A cherished centrepiece in the grounds of Royal Oldham Hospital, the existing Fountain Garden will be transformed into a space that promotes the wellbeing of staff and patients, while also becoming a social hub for the local community
A new NHS Wellbeing Garden is set to be built at Royal Oldham Hospital, the RHS has announced. Designed by award-winning landscape designer and RHS Ambassador Adam Frost, the project is a collaboration between the RHS, the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and NorthCare Charity. It involves the transformation of the existing Fountain Garden into a more beautiful, functional and accessible green space, responding to the needs of staff, patients, visitors and the wider community.
The green heart of Oldham Hospital
View of the existing Fountain Garden at Oldham Hospital
Built in the 1930s, the green space is currently managed as an amenity lawn, with a few scattered trees, central planting beds and a fountain. It extends across a total of 1,800 square metres and is commonly used by patients, visitors, hospital staff, students and the wider local community for outdoor seating and lunch breaks. The garden holds sentimental value for many, as it is considered an important space for the remembrance of those who have passed away.
The upcoming regeneration will result in a vibrant, inclusive and peaceful wellbeing garden designed to meet a variety of needs. The project, led by Adam Frost following consultation sessions with hospital staff and in collaboration with RHS Senior Landscape Architect Magdalena Firganek-Fulcher, will include the introduction of new flowers and planting to enhance the fountain’s look and functionality. More trees will be planted to provide shaded seating areas, alongside fragrant, textured, seasonal and colourful plants chosen to attract wildlife. Low-maintenance plants and herbs will also be introduced throughout the borders.
Design of the Royal Oldham Hospital Wellbeing Garden
Adam Frost said: “Our aim is to create a space that will be both beautiful and resilient, and that will support wildlife as much as the people who spend time in it. I hope it becomes a place where people can step into, take a moment and feel supported by the landscape around them.”
A space for art, training and community
The new Fountain Garden will include picnic tables and additional benches
The build is due to start this summer, with the garden opening later in the year. As well as providing patients with a space for relaxation and recovery, the garden will be used by staff during breaks, while visitors and relatives will benefit from a peaceful place in which to spend time with their loved ones. Open to the public, the Fountain Garden will also serve as an inclusive and accessible green space for the wider community.
The project includes a connected wellbeing activity programme delivered by the RHS Communities team, who will work with staff and volunteers from across all hospital departments, as well as patients, their friends and families and local community groups, until October 2028. The garden will host a range of initiatives focused on nature-based arts for wellbeing, plant medicine,
“We’re so grateful to the RHS for their support and partnership on this project,” said Aimee Clare, Interim Head of Fundraising at NorthCare Charity. “The Fountain Garden is a space that means a great deal to our patients, their families and our colleagues who care for them. Getting outdoors and connecting with nature does make a difference to wellbeing, especially in a hospital setting and we’re incredibly excited to see this much‑loved space transformed into something even more beautiful and welcoming.”
