The MacDonald Ward Courtyard is very overgrown and unloved. We, the staff on MacDonald Ward, aim to restore it to its original purpose which was to provide a tranquil and beautiful space for patients and visitors to enjoy.

Being able to sit outside in the fresh air will be of great benefit to patients physical and mental wellbeing as well as providing a lovely setting for family and friends who visit.

Many patients on MacDonald Ward are frail and elderly, and some are cognitively impaired so the courtyard will be sympathetically designed to met their needs as best we can.

We are delighted that Elaine Wigg, a professional garden designer, and member of the Royal Horticultural Society has offered to design the garden and we are working closely with her to sign off the design which we will post here soon. We can also count on volunteers to help us with planting and maintenance.

We are raising £20,000 to pay for alterations to the entrance and levels and this will allow wheelchair and bed access so patients can be safely taken into the courtyard directly from the ward giving full access to the garden.

The new design includes a network of paths for strolling two abreast with safe surfaces and to be wheelchair friendly. Handrails will be added where needed.

The garden will include a step, in a safe space, as many patients have an external step to access their property and this can be hard for staff to mimic in the wards in order to assess their patients safety once they leave hospital.

A range of seating for patients and visitors, plus somewhere staff can take their break in the fresh air.

Some seating shaded, some in the sun, some covered for privacy and cooler weather. There will also be a quiet, private seating area.

An area fairly close to the new access doors for beds, where patients can enjoy fresh air and be in contact with plants.

Raised beds to allow patients to see and smell plants and be able to touch them.

A mural for the larger, empty wall, creating something to engage patients minds, especially those with dementia.

Plants to help with enrichment, with strong shapes and colours, tactile plants and those with a good scent.

Tactile sculptural pieces to provide drama and enrichment for patients, for example a larger scale, interactive abacus.

We'd be delighted if you can make a donation to our fund and please get in touch if you'd be interested in either fundraising or volunteering for the courtyard. We'd love to hear from you. Email Mark Chamberlain, Matron, on mark.chamberlain7@nhs.net.