Volunteers from a national youth community group, a charity that supports life limiting illness and staff from The Conservation Volunteers (TCV),  joined forces  in September to help transform an area of woodland at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB).

10 volunteers from NCS with The Challenge, a national charity that inspires young people to strengthen their local community, together with volunteers from Freshwinds and TCV have helped to clear woodland, to create an idyllic path to benefit patients, staff and visitors at QEHB.

The woodland space which was the focus for activity on the day is one of a number of open spaces across the medical campus that is now being turned into fruit orchards, wildflower meadows and allotments as part of QEHB’s Community Orchard and Garden’s project.

Work on the day involved clearing thick undergrowth to steer a path that will give patients, staff and visitors an area for quiet thought that will be planted with bluebells and snowdrops, and will lead the way to a wildflower meadow that was strewn during August.

Antony Cobley, health and wellbeing lead at QEHB said: “It was incredible to have so many young and enthusiastic people at the hospital helping to strengthen their local community by enhancing the site to support our patients.

“Our patients are some of the most poorly in the region. This space is going to make such a difference to them, giving them a place to be able to think away from machinery and medics.”

"Health for life in the community" programme manager, Chris Blythe, said: “This is what the Health for Life programme is all about.”

“It really is inspiring to know there are young people who want to make a difference, as well as those who are receiving support for their life-limiting illnesses making their mark for the benefit of others.”

Tom Haigh from NCS with the Challenge said ‘’The young people really got stuck in on the day, and have made a significant difference to improving the natural environment around the hospital for patients and local people.  This team of young people were part of a bigger group of 1,548 young people across Birmingham, who were volunteering on projects across the city on the same weekend as part of the National Citizen Service programme’’

QEHB’s Community Orchard and Gardens have a new website, if you would like to find out more about the project or you might like to get involved, please visit the orchard website.