16 December 2024

This year, the NHS Forest Awards honoured the remarkable work happening at the community-led garden project on Shannon Ward, awarding it the 2024 prize for Active Community Engagement at a Healthcare Green Space.

This special recognition, part of an annual celebration of innovative green spaces at NHS sites, highlights healthcare spaces that go above and beyond to benefit patients, staff, and communities through environmental initiatives.

Congratulations to the user-led movement, One Community, who spearheaded the project.

One Community

The One Community initiative isn’t just about gardening; it’s a movement dedicated to empowering people with mental health conditions to defy stigma, through the curation of various creative groups including drama, beauty, music and the arts.

People visit every week to take part in a range of activities that aim to create positive discourse around mental health, encourage personal growth and create a sense of community across CNWL boroughs.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently visited One Community, and like so many visitors, they were blown away. They cited it as “an example of excellence” during their visit - a testament to the dedication and impact of the initiative.

Cate Latto, One Community Founder and Lead, says:

“From our early work creating gardens on the wards and cultivating our allotment, through to conversations with patients and those working in and around the many green spaces in London, we have forged a beautiful community of action. The space has become a sanctuary of peace, nurture and healing while also fostering climate action and connections with our One Community members.

“One Community is extraordinary in so many ways, specifically for its uniqueness and authenticity which forms connections with other members. We’re unafraid to stand out and this boldness shaped this beautiful space and made so many things possible for our network.”

An oasis of green  

The sensory garden opened in 2022 on Shannon Ward at St Charles Hospital, with funding from the Mayor of London Grow Back Greener Fund, which is supporting communities and grassroots organisations to create more green spaces. Part of CNWL’s inpatient services, Shannon Ward provides mental health care for adults in Kensington and Chelsea.

The garden is a collaborative effort between One Community members and dedicated volunteers. Together, they planted poppies, phacelia, nasturtiums, cornflowers, lavender, rosemary, thyme, clover, chamomile lawns, mint, and more, creating a multi-sensory and pollinator-friendly haven that promotes biodiversity and addresses key environmental challenges such as:

  • Reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate change
  • Improving local air quality
  • Creating spaces for wildlife to prosper (One Community has been part of the Bee Superhighway in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea since 2021)

Throughout the seasons, people gather whenever possible to care for the garden. Designed to offer ward patients a calming connection to nature, the garden is adorned with a red brick pathway, timber flower planters, and a striking mural by artist Fin Dac. Recently restored, the mural now reflects the wildlife that have come to love this garden.

The calming space highlights the therapeutic value of nature, offering a restorative and healing space at the ward.

Community, connection and care

People who use the garden - whether working on it or relaxing in it - report feeling a deep sense of calm and purpose. As they nurture plants, they also nurture relationships, and this garden is reshaping how mental health support can be interwoven with environmental health.

Here is what people had to say about the garden: 

“I feel at one with nature, the birds, the trees, the fresh air and food for the soul, I love looking at the sky.”

“I am really excited about the garden, I didn’t want to be here but I feel better now I can get involved with the garden.”

"When I’ve previously written about the garden I compared it with the garden of Eden. It is a safe and tranquil place that allows me to get away from the chaos. Sometimes it helps me calm down when I am upset. The garden is pleasant, tranquil and can be a heaven at times. The first time I watered the garden I really loved it and it brought me harmony! Also, I’ve never watered a garden before it was lovely!"

"When I come out to the garden, I feel happy and content. I like to water the garden, as it helps me feel relax and engaged."

"This is the most amazing creation with respects to enhancing the relaxation of the sense of smell, taste (mint, rosemary), verbena lemon scent and the wooden architecture which takes away the stress of being in a hectic ward. The thought and hard work put into this project is evident. Thank you to the sponsors who considered us in the making a pleasant environment. It is very kind gesture and I am particularly grateful that the initiative was taken plastic to nature. Thank you for considering those who prefer alternative therapy and well done One Community, keep up the good work."

Growth in the garden

One Community is proudly continuing with its green initiatives, with plans to expand this work across more spaces and connecting people through environmental stewardship.

Congratulations to the One Community team and everyone involved in this project! Your work is spreading positivity and setting a beautiful example.