Who we are

Dr Olivia Chapple MRCGP

Olivia is the co-founder and chair of the trustees of Horatio’s Garden charity. Horatio was her eldest son.

Olivia trained in medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital London, followed by postgraduate training at The Royal Free Hospital and worked as a general practitioner until 2011. She served as a charity Board Director for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation until 2012. As a GP she was an advocate of the benefits of gardens and gardening and has seen first-hand how the natural environment can comfort and enhance wellbeing.

In 2017 Olivia was awarded a Points of Light award by the Prime Minister for voluntary service.

In 2020, she was awarded the Carew Pole Award by the RHS in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the world of horticulture.

David Chapple FRCS

David has been a Consultant Spinal Surgeon for the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and at New Hall Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire since 2001.

David Chapple qualified at St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School in 1990. He trained as a spinal and general orthopaedic surgeon at St George’s Hospital Medical School, London and completed a specialist Spinal Research and Surgical Fellowship in at The Royal Adelaide University Hospital, Australia.

David is very involved with the spinal surgery community as a member of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons and the British Orthopaedic Association. David is widely respected as a senior, experienced spinal surgeon amongst colleagues and staff.

Horatio was David’s eldest son and they worked together on the initial patient research to form the concepts for the charity.

Catherine Burns

Catherine Burns is a retired solicitor who has been active in the charitable sector throughout her professional life and since retirement. Her involvement with Horatio’s Garden stemmed from visiting a friend who was a patient in the Spinal Unit in Glasgow. She recognised the potential of the outside space and subsequently spearheaded the fundraising campaign for Horatio’s Garden Scotland. She became a trustee in 2016.

Catherine is very interested in gardens and their health benefits. She is a keen gardener and a Fellow of the RHS. She is married to Richard and has a daughter, Mary. She divides her time between Edinburgh and Berwickshire, with regular trips to Glasgow!

Mohammed Belal FRCS

Mohammed Belal has been a consultant urologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham since 2011 and specialises in the treatment of incontinence, bladder pain and complex reconstructive surgery. Following a degree in medicine at Cambridge University, his surgical training took place at several nationally renowned centres of excellence, including Guy’s Hospital, London and the Bristol Urological Institute as well as a prestigious fellowship in Melbourne, Australia.

In 2021, he was paralysed after being struck by a tree while out cycling. He spent five months in hospital including 1,000 hours of intensive rehabilitation at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. While at Stanmore, he experienced the positive benefits of Horatio's Garden London & South East, describing its solitude from the ward and its space to think and reflect as life-saving.

He returned to work in 2022 using a specialist hydraulic wheelchair to enable him to stand and lean forward and is believed to be the only paralysed surgeon working for the NHS.

Lisa Stratton

Lisa Stratton has worked extensively in both the charitable and strategic marketing sectors over the last thirty years. Having started a PR Company in her early twenties and The Honeypot Charity in her mid twenties, Lisa has extensive experience in both strategic marketing and communications as well as the machinations of successfully running both a business and a charity.

Lisa is passionate about applying the principles of managing a sustainable business to the charity sector to ensure a professional, efficient and intelligent approach.

Lisa lives near Salisbury with her family and works as a brand marketing and communications consultant in London.

Victoria Holton

Following a degree in three dimensional design, Victoria worked as a marketing manager focusing on new product development. In 2002, she sustained a spinal cord injury, breaking her neck at C5 while skydiving in Spain which resulted in permanent paralysis from below the shoulders down.

Victoria served as a trustee and director of two charities related to spinal cord injuries before joining the Horatio’s Garden board of trustees in 2013.

Richard Grainger

After graduating from Oxford University, Richard qualified as an accountant with Price Waterhouse. He then spent 25 years in Corporate Finance with Hill Samuel Bank and Close Brothers. He has chaired several companies and is still active as a Non-Executive Director.

Richard is married to Miranda and lives in Sussex. They have four adult daughters.

Mark Yallop CBE

Mark has spent his career in financial services. A former UK Chief Executive of UBS and Group Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Bank AG, he recently stepped down after serving seven years as Chair of the Financial Markets Standards Board. He has previously served six years as a member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulatory Committee and is now an angel investor in fintech and start-up businesses in the South West and a Chapter Canon at Exeter Cathedral.

In previous years, Mark has also served on the boards of a number of international financial sector industry bodies, and in the UK on the board of the Centre for Social Justice and the Development Board for the Francis Crick Institute.

Mark was awarded a CBE in HM The King’s New Year Honours list in December 2023 for services to the financial sector and to charity.

James Alexander-Sinclair

James is one of the UK's foremost garden designers. He brought Horatio's Garden Scotland to life and has also created countless other stunning gardens from the Western Isles to the outskirts of Moscow. Additionally, he is an award-winning writer, compelling speaker, frequent broadcaster and an elected member of the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). He is Chairman of the RHS Gardens Committee and is also an RHS judge.

"Horatio's Garden has a dual purpose. Firstly to commemorate and remember the life of a young man, and secondly to bring the power of gardens to those suffering from spinal injuries. Imagine for a moment how your lives would be lessened by being unable to dig a hole or even bend down to pull an offending thistle. Gardening is such a powerful force and Horatio's Garden will mean that those in spinal centres across the UK can still see the bees fly, smell the warm jasmine and listen to the birds sing."

Adam Frost

“I know myself how much gardens can connect people with nature, so I am delighted to support Horatio’s Garden who are doing such important work bringing incredible gardens right into the heart of NHS spinal centres.”Adam Frost is a British garden designer known for his successes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and as a presenter on BBC's Gardeners' World. He began his career working for the North Devon Parks Department, before moving to London to work as a landscaper.

Ade Adepitan

“Experiencing the Horatio’s Garden show garden at Chelsea Flower Show was just amazing. It demonstrated how the gardens bring together the best in accessibility and sustainability – the perfect combination.”

Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH DL

"Being an ambassador for Horatio’s Garden is a tremendous honour and, for me, a chance to demonstrate what I have always believed - that gardens and gardening are great healers. It is all too easy to lose touch with reality today - the reality that is rooted in nature and gardens and which is far more durable than the day-to-day worries of most mortals. Horatio’s Garden uses outdoor spaces to provide solace, respite and understanding of the values of the natural world to those who will benefit from it most, and they deserve the support of every one of us."Alan is a gardener, celebrated broadcaster, poet, and novelist. Alan has been a key presenter on TV's Gardeners' World and Ground Force and currently hosts a regular Classic FM show.

Andrew Widdowson

"Horatio's Gardens represent a wonderful tribute to the vision of young Horatio Chapple and the tenacity of his marvellous family. They play a crucial role in filling the gap between the necessary confinement of a spinal injuries hospital and the human yearning for sweet fresh air, beautiful spaces to lift the spirits, contact with non-medical friends and the sense of renewal after traumatic experiences. The Victorians understood the importance of hospital gardens, and 20th-century progress has in so many cases replaced these spaces with the car parks. I remember sitting in at the Stoke Mandeville of old, piecemeal building projects and the like. Horatio's Gardens have reversed this trend and in doing so offer spinally injured inestimable steps forward in their rehabilitation."Andrew Widdowson sustained a broken neck playing rugby at Oxford University and is tetraplegic. Following long treatment in Stoke Mandeville he became a maths teacher working full time at Felstead School in Essex until his retirement. He knew Horatio Chapple well and taught Horatio a lot about living with a disability.

Anneka Rice

“I’m thrilled to be involved with Horatio's Garden. I’ve seen the amazing work carried out at Stoke Mandeville over the years and the garden is a wonderful haven for patients and families. I can’t wait to see the charity's story continue.”Anneka is a well-known and much-loved television presenter, broadcaster and journalist. She regularly appears on BBC Radio 4 on Loose Ends and Just a Minute and her recent television appearances include The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee. Anneka is also an artist, having studied painting at the Chelsea College of Art. After a close friend experienced a spinal cord injury and spent many months in the National Spinal Injuries Centre in Stoke Mandeville, Anneka gained a first-hand insight into the need for an accessible garden, which would lend vital support to patients and their loved ones.

Annie Maw CVO CStJ

"Horatio's Garden has provided a turning point in the care of people in the spinal centres where they are now available. I hope that one day, every one of us, the people living with the legacy of a spinal injury, will have started their journey of rehabilitation with a Horatio's Garden as the font of their recovery."Annie Maw was the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset from 2014 until October 2022. Annie was a State Registered Nurse who trained at Westminster Hospital. She became a wheelchair user after being injured and becoming paraplegic in a riding accident in 2022. She spent many months at the spinal injuries centre in Salisbury before there was a Horatio’s Garden, which led to her becoming a founding trustee of the charity in 2012. Annie’s experience and ideas shaped the design of the charity’s first garden, Horatio’s Garden South West in Salisbury and she continues to support the charity in her role as an Ambassador to this day.

Arit Anderson

“I still find it incredible that the vision of one young man, Horatio Chapple, has been realised through this fantastic charity, and has created a profound impact of change and healing for so many patients with spinal injuries and their families. The value of these gardens is immeasurable.”

Bianca Roden

Bianca has supported Horatio's Garden from the beginning. She was a trustee of the charity for 10 years, only recently stepping down in 2020.Bianca trained as a speech and language therapist and worked in various hospitals and schools with both adults and children. Bianca has worked as a volunteer for several years in a shelter for women who had suffered abuse and also a care home for adults with learning disabilities.Bianca has four adult children and has always worked with different charities, advising on fundraising and helping host events to both fundraise and increase awareness for the charity concerned. In addition, she works in property development and is involved in the art world.As an ambassador, Bianca intends to remain fully involved with Horatio's Garden, continuing to help with our work in any she can.

Dame Joanna Lumley

Dame Joanna Lumley has been involved with the charity for many years, not only as one of our capital appeal patrons for our London & South East project, but as a source of unstinting support and encouragement for our national summer fundraising campaign; The Fabulous Summer Tea Party. She is passionate about helping the charity and patients with spinal injuries however she can and recognises the enormous difference each of our gardens make to everyone affected by spinal injury.

David Gregg

David Gregg is a teacher and Deputy Head at Eton College. He took a degree in Politics at Queen’s University, Belfast, subsequently attending Oxford University as a postgraduate. He previously taught at Wellington College and Bradfield College, was Chief Examiner in Government and Politics, and has published on both history and political philosophy.David came to Eton in 1993 as Head of Economics and Politics and was a House Master from 2000 to 2013. He was Horatio Chapple’s House Master from 2007-2011.David has coached rugby and cricket at Eton, and is an experienced Field Game umpire. An enthusiastic sailor, David crossed the Atlantic during his sabbatical in 2013, raising funds for Horatio’s Garden. He is currently Deputy Head (Pastoral) where he has overall responsibility for the welfare of the boys. His role involves oversight of boarding provision and the work of 25 House Masters, as well as all aspects of pastoral care. He is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead and deals with all child protection matters as the head of the school’s safeguarding team.

Emma Bridgewater

Emma Bridgewater has supported Horatio's Garden from the very beginning, designing our very first Horatio's Garden mug exclusively for the charity back in 2012. Our online shop was launched with this product and since then it has grown to become the collection of beautifully bespoke gifts it is today. Emma has now created a total of six mugs for the charity, which continue to be bestsellers. Over the years, Emma has generously joined us for events in the gardens right across the UK and continues to enthusiastically lend her support for all that we do.

Frank Gardner

"It was honour to witness the opening of this excellent project. As a one-time spinal injuries patient myself, I know I craved just such a space to recover in. It has peace, tranquillity, life and beauty. Who could ask for more?"

Hazel Gardiner

“Experiencing the stillness and sanctity of the outdoors is the world’s greatest gift, one that many are often unable to access. As a cancer survivor, I am acutely aware of the natural world’s proven ability to profoundly uplift the spirit, rebuild strength, and nurture confidence during times of life-changing trauma. The predictability of the seasons becomes our grounding when faced with medical uncertainty, as does the cycle of plant life. The vital work of Horatio’s Garden harnesses these omnipresent gifts, not only leaving a physical legacy on the land but also an everlasting mark on patients and their loved ones. Their transformative work and the opportunities for healing and reflection provided by their gardens are vital to rehabilitation and an honour to support.”

Jack Mannings

"Horatio’s Garden is a place to be with friends. I had friends come to see me and you are always a bit embarrassed when friends come to the ward and you’ve got all your medical stuff in and around the bed. Going to Horatio’s Garden is like being on a day out or somewhere you would rather be and friends would rather be visiting you. It's other than a hospital. It’s about getting back to normality and about finding who you are again rather than that person who has been injured. And I do not know how that would be possible without Horatio’s Garden. It is not just a pretty garden in a hospital it is really, really so much more and I have been privileged to use it."Jack was paralysed in a car accident during his time at Bristol University. After spending months in the spinal injury centre in Salisbury, using Horatio's Garden daily, he returned to university to complete a degree in History. Jack is an inaugural member of the Horatio's Garden Young Supporters Group and has spoken at events for the charity.

John Illsley

"I know from personal experience about the trauma and life changing effect that spinal injuries can cause when 15 years ago the son of one of my oldest friends was left paralysed from the neck down after a bicycle accident. Horatio’s Gardens enable patients with spinal injuries to get out in the open air in a beautiful environment either alone or with their friends and families which must be both uplifting and transformative."

Lord Bilimoria

Karan Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 101 Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world.Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London); he was the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed. Karan was a former Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group PLC (2007-2016); he is one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge; he is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School. In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain, and he is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). Lord Bilimoria is the Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford, for the 2017-18 academic year.

Maggie Cameron

Maggie was formerly a trustee of Horatio's Garden and has been involved with the charity since it was established.Maggie studied at the Institut Francais and worked for a stock broker in Paris for a number of years. On returning to the UK Maggie left the financial world to focus her career in corporate branding and marketing. She specialised in the creation of brand names and continues to work on naming projects. Maggie lives in Wiltshire where she helps to run a family farming business. She is an enthusiastic gardener, organises workshops for cooking and gardening at her home and continues to fully support Horatio's Garden whenever she can.

Mel Giedroyc

Mel Giedroyc has supported Horatio's Garden since its infancy, discovering the charity whilst visiting one of her friends undergoing rehabilitation at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury. She has since helped the charity on numerous occasions, becoming a capital appeal patron for Horatio's Garden London & South East and most recently appearing with her natural warmth and humour at the charity's Carol Concert in 2019.

Melanie Reid MBE FRSE

"I believe that Horatio's Garden will be an important and beautiful creation that will contribute enormously to the well being of Scottish spinal patients. I remember the grimness of the courtyard in Glasgow and what a garden, such as you plan, would have done to lift my spirits."Melanie is an award winning columnist for the Times newspaper and writes 'Spinal Column' each week in the Times Saturday colour supplement. Melanie broke her back riding in 2010 and is now tetraplegic. Following her accident Melanie spent 12 months in the Scottish National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow. Her book 'The World I Fell Out Of' was published in 2019 and chronicles her experiences in the aftermath of paralysis.

Pete Reed OBE

Pete Reed is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and is also one of history's most decorated members of the GB Rowing Team, with three gold medals and five World Titles to his name.In 2019, he suffered a spinal stroke which paralysed him from the chest down. He was initially treated in the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital, where he discovered Horatio's Garden.Since then, he has continued his rehabilitation and has documented his journey online in order to raise awareness of spinal cord injury. His honest, engaging posts have a huge following and Pete is determined to continue empowering people across the world with his ongoing story and commitment to his self-styled hashtag #NotLyingDown.

Raquel Siganporia

"In 2020, now more than ever, the benefits outside space has on someone’s wellbeing is being noted and needed in spades. When someone sustains a spinal cord injury they can be bed bound and confined to a small hospital space in the initial months. The freedoms and pleasures they enjoyed without thinking, vanish as they try to come to terms with their trauma. Rehabilitating in a hospital that has a Horatio’s Garden is priceless. It allows space, time and healing to occur in a positive, vibrant and nurturing atmosphere. In 2020 we’ve all had a slight insight as to what it might be like to acclimatise to a new normal following a sudden change of life. Horatio’s Garden allows people to experience joy again when the sun shines on their face or the air fills their lungs. Over time it instills confidence and enables those injured to live a meaningful life.""It is for this reason that I am incredibly proud to be an Ambassador for Horatio’s Garden and support the much needed work nationally."Raquel Siganporia sustained a spinal cord injury aged 11 in 1993. She was rehabilitated at Stanmore spinal injury unit after three months of being bed bound.

Sir Algernon Heber-Percy KCVO

"I urge you to continue to support this fine garden project which will improve the lives of people facing paralysis."Sir Algernon Heber-Percy and his wife Jane have generously supported the capital appeal for Horatio's Garden Oswestry from the very beginning. Sir Algernon is a garden enthusiast and has been involved in a number of organisations, including periods as a trustee of the National Gardens Scheme and as a member of the National Trust's regional committee. he served as High Sheriff of Shropshire for the 1987–88 year and then served as Lord Lieutenant from 1996 to 2019.

Sir Kenneth Calman KCB DL FRCP FRCS FRSE FRCGP HonFAcadMEd

"I am delighted to support Horatio's Garden. Over the years some of my main interests have been in quality of life and well-being for those who are unwell. This can be influenced by many things, including the environment of care. A garden can make all the difference to someone who needs help and support."Sir Kenneth Calman is the former Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, and then England. In his medical career Sir Kenneth worked as a surgeon, oncologist and cancer researcher. He was the UK Representative at the World Health Organisation and chaired its Executive Committee. Sir Kenneth was also Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Scotland and is currently Chair of the Board of National Library of Scotland.

The Countess of Rosslyn

"A garden is ‘the purest of human pleasures’, in the words of Francis Bacon, so Horatio Chapple’s vision of creating gardens to be enjoyed by patients with spinal injuries was truly inspired.I am delighted to be an Ambassador of Horatio’s Garden, at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow - the only spinal injury centre in Scotland. It is with great excitement that we open the second Horatio's Garden making Horatio's vision become a reality for patients from all over Scotland who have been injured. I look forward to watching this new garden grow and seeing it bring pleasure to many in Horatio’s memory."Helen Rosslyn is an art historian who has presented the acclaimed BBC series on art and is Director of the London Original Print Fair and the Arts editor for Tatler.

The Hon. Mrs Rupert Soames DL

"Horatio’s Garden at the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Injury Centre does so much to lift the spirits of patients. It gives the opportunity to breathe fresh air; feel the wind and sun and rain; enjoy the scents from the flowers & earth and to savour some non-clinical time with friends and family and staff. It is a huge pleasure to be an Ambassador for Horatio Chapple’s vision."Milly was the former High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and during her office highlighted the plight of loneliness and promoted ideas and organisations working together to alleviate it. Milly's husband Rupert is Winston Churchill’s grandson, has lived in Buckinghamshire for 25 years. She farms, supports local charities and volunteers.

Yan Swiderski

Yan was a founding partner and portfolio manager at Finisterre Capital LLP, an emerging market fund management specialist. He retired from the business in 2013.Prior to Finisterre Yan worked at various investment banks from 1986 until 2002. He was at Salomon Brothers in London and New York from 1993. Prior to this Yan was at Westpac Banking Corporation in London and Singapore and before that he was a corporate finance executive at Mitsubishi Finance International in London.From 1983 to 1986, Yan was Managing Director of Aquaman (UK) Limited, a marine electronics accessory business he founded (now called Aquapac International Ltd).Yan has an MA in Law from Cambridge University, speaks Spanish and French and is keen on outdoor activities. Yan is now a private investor and organic farmer.

Robin Hanbury-Tenison

"I am absolutely certain that being wheeled out from the Intensive Care Unit into a garden after almost four weeks in an induced coma and excellent conventional treatment, was the turning point in my remarkable road to recovery. Horatio’s Gardens have set a magnificent example for those with spinal injuries. Now all hospitals and rehabilitation units should have gardens for recovering patients.”

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

"Horatio's Garden is a wonderful, dynamic charity and I'm delighted to support their work. The garden at Salisbury Hospital is not just a place of sanctuary, but a beautiful and hopeful space, offering a positive response to people in very difficult situations."

The Duchess of Northumberland

"It has long been acknowledged that gardens can heal the soul. Horatio's Garden is loved and appreciated by patients and their families who value the opportunity to spend time together in a beautiful setting. I have no doubt that Horatio's Garden will encourage healing of both the body and the soul and will play an important role in patients' recovery. What a wonderful way for a wonderful young man to be remembered."

The Duke of Buccleuch

"Vivid are the memories of dedicated hospital care received by my father after breaking his back 40 years ago, though equally vivid are months of morale sapping gloom amidst monotonous surroundings. To breathe, to imagine the nature and countryside he loved through a beautiful garden would have done untold good. Who can doubt the profound importance of Horatio’s Gardens wherever people face such trauma. We can all play a part in creating them."

Sir Cameron Mackintosh

"Horatio’s Garden is an inspiring yet simple idea of how to transform loss into gain by using nature to heal the body and soul in a beautiful haven of peace and tranquillity – what could be a better legacy for a life sadly cut short than to be the catalyst for so many others to benefit indefinitely."

Monty Don

"Tending a garden heals so much more than flesh and blood. Broken hearts, spirits and minds can all mend through the loving care of a garden. And it is more than just therapy. Whatever state or condition we happen to be in, growing and nurturing plants makes us better become the people we would like to be."

Professor Charles Greenough MD MChir FRCS

"Horatio’s Gardens provide the space, tranquillity and privacy to allow a patient and their family to renew their strength. This space is so important in the middle of busy hospital environments where there is little opportunity for private reflection.As rehabilitation progresses Horatio’s Gardens can provide a back drop of tranquillity which is available at all times. Later they provide space for meetings with family and friends and space for recreation. Children of families may be welcomed, which is so important for parents and grandparents as rehabilitation continues. Horatio’s Garden also provides therapy as patients can be involved in the day to day management. Well planned changes of surface, or small steps in some areas, build confidence in wheelchair skills. Recovery and rehabilitation from spinal cord injury require much inner strength from the patient and their nearest and dearest. Horatio’s Gardens are a vital source of renewal of this strength."Professor C Greenough MD MChir FRCS Chair of Clinical Reference Group – Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Director – Regional Golden Jubilee Spinal Cord Injury Centre

Trudie Styler

"Horatio’s Garden is a living testament to a beautiful boy whose life was taken too soon. As a long term champion of local, sustainable and healthy eating, I am personally thrilled to see the initiative expanding to encourage the growing and consumption of delicious good food in the hospital. May Horatio's Garden continue to flourish and blossom, bringing comfort, delight and nourishment to all who visit here."

Andy Irvine

"The Scottish rugby community knows the devastating effect that spinal cord injury can have on people and their families. Having a beautiful garden to go to during the long months in hospital would make a massive difference especially to injured sports people who, before their accidents, were used to being outside."

Cleve West

"Helping to realise Horatio's Garden has been incredibly satisfying on many levels, not least in seeing it play such an important part in the healing of patients' minds, bodies and spirits. Affected families also benefit from this sanctuary as do the dedicated staff who work tirelessly to mend broken lives. It really makes you wonder why all hospitals can't enjoy such spaces."

Gregor Fisher

"I am so delighted to support this wonderful venture and having a member of our family who has been treated for spinal injuries, has given both my wife and myself a small insight into the life changing effects that such injuries cause. So to provide a place of sanctuary and rehabilitation is a great thing and I do hope Horatio's Gardens flourish throughout the length and breadth of the land."

Joe Swift

"It is a real honour to have designed Horatio's Garden Stoke Mandeville and to be involved with this fantastic charity. I know that the garden I designed and every other Horatio's Garden across the country will have a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of patients, their families and friends."

Michael Morpurgo

"May dear Horatio's Garden thrive."

Eva Loeffler

"My father Ludwig Guttmann used sport as a way of rehabilitating people with spinal cord injuries and helping them return to a normal life in society. Horatio's Garden is a project in the same way showing people confined to wheelchairs that so much is possible . It is also an inspiring place of beauty and activity and is a wonderful memorial to a fine young man."

Sarah Raven

"I know that if I lost the ability to walk, one of the main things I'd want to do would be spend more time gardening. It's an occupation which is quickly and intensely rewarding, tapping into so many different sides of human nature - the intellectual, the creative, the nurturing, the practical, the organising, the planning ... that's why Horatio's Garden - and many more like it - is such an important development idea for those with spinal injury."

Tom Stuart-Smith

"Horatio's Garden is a brilliant idea and it's been a trailblazer for therapeutic gardens far and wide. The charity show immense passion and commitment to every project, and it's been wonderful to see that first hand whilst designing Horatio's Garden London.We all know that gardening has this enormous impact on the quality of people's lives. It is something that offers hope, change and growth and Horatio's Garden has the capacity to transform the lives of patients with spinal injuries when they are most in need."

Mark Diacono

"How fitting that this much-loved young man's life be celebrated in the form of Horatio's Garden. Gardens are perhaps uniquely able to help us through physical as well as emotional hard times, not just through actively gardening but by simply being in them. Remembering Horatio's life in this garden ensures that many more - patients and their friends and family alike - will continue to be inspired and uplifted in his name."

Bunny Guinness

“Hearing from people who have benefited from the other Horatio’s Gardens has inspired me. The gardens provide all the benefits of a beautiful outside space to people who really appreciate them. For the patients, it may well be their first venture into the outside world again, for their friends, families and staff the gardens provide a softer more personable space away from the ward. I feel privileged to have designed and be involved with Horatio's Garden Oswestry.”

Jekka McVicar

"A garden in memory of Horatio is a wonderful tribute to a young man who was so full of life. For a garden never dies; it evolves as it reflects the passing of the seasons. It is an inspirational space for all the senses and in time will give peace and encouragement to all."

The Lady Trevor MBE

"I first learnt of The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital when I was a Physiotherapy student at The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel in the late 1950s. I then worked at the The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, which was run on the principles of Dame Agnes with the patients being treated outside as much as possible and I learnt how valuable that was in their recovery.Imagine my surprise when I married and discovered that my husband was on the Management Committee of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital! Then as I was introduced to it I realised how remarkable and unique it is.Before long we were welcoming the League of Friends' bus to our home - loaded with patients and nurses from the spinal injury wards visiting us for a tour of the gardens and tea then followed by a beer and a game of bingo.Our League of Friends was founded in 1961 and I have been on the Executive Committee for over 45 years and latterly it's vice chairman.We constantly strive to provide the very best for our patients, staff and research. The fact that we can assist in honouring our Founder's principles and Horatio's inspirational views about what is good for recovering patients and create a Horatio's Garden for the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries is like a dream realised, a miracle!"

Sarah Price

"I spent many of my childhood years wandering the Welsh countryside, which inspired me to become a garden designer and I hope to bring many of the signature elements of the gorgeous Welsh landscape to Horatio's Garden Cardiff.It's incredible to work on a design for Horatio's Garden, particularly because its focus is uniquely on the patients and their recovery. It's a pleasure to be involved in the project and with the charity as a whole."

Sir Roy Strong

"These are is a brilliant, beautiful gardens created by a brilliant, beautiful charity. Such gardens lift the spirits away from what must inevitably be a functional building for the care of patients. Gardens such as these enable them to enter another world in terms of sight, touch, smell and touch. Once again, I say, brilliant and beautiful."

Professor Wagih El Masri

"The Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries serves a population of about 10 million from North Wales, mid-Wales and the West Midlands. It is one of two Centres in the UK that was rebuilt from charitable donations (£4.5 million). It was architecturally designed with full involvement of the senior team members of the Centre to ensure ease of management of patients in a pleasant environment.Although the environment within the Centre is second to none in quality, unfortunately it was difficult to raise more funds to provide an equally pleasant and serene environment around the Centre for the patient and their relatives to enjoy. This is particularly significant considering the required period of hospitalisation, the relative limitation of space within the Centre, the inability of the patients to exercise outdoors or to enjoy being with their relatives outdoors in good weather.The dream that one day a garden around the Centre will be developed to facilitate and enhance the management of the emotional, psychological, medical and physical effects of such a sudden life-changing injury has never stopped following me even after I retired from the NHS. I am grateful to the Chapple family and the Horatio's Garden organisation for their endeavours in making that dream come true for all patients, their families and indeed for me too."Prof W S El Masri FRCS Ed, FRCP Clinical Professor of Spinal Injuries

Frankie Dettori

"Horatio's Garden will benefit so many people who have sustained life-changing injuries. I have seen for myself the impact of spinal injuries on fellow jockeys. I know that if they had access to a Horatio’s Garden during their long stay in hospital it would make a huge difference to them and their families and friends in the long journey of rehabilitation."

Kath Moss

Kath joined the team as Director of Gardens in November 2023. Kath has an extensive background in horticulture and strategic garden management, and is passionate about creating and maintaining environments which are both beautiful and functional. Kath has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Auckland Botanic Gardens in New Zealand, and has most recently been managing significant historic landscapes for a local authority. Kath enjoys the outdoors, walking, yoga and loves using nature to inspire creative textile work.

Stephen Hudd

Stephen joined Horatio’s Garden as Director of Fundraising – Maternity cover in August 2023, having spent over twenty five years in the charity sector. Most of that time has been in Director of Fundraising, and more recently interim Director of Fundraising roles together also with consultancy work. His most recent in-charity roles have included The Access Project, St Luke’s Hospice (Harrow & Brent), St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group and Independent Age. Stephen enjoys country walks surrounded by nature.

Zoë Franklin – Director of Communications & Events

Zoë joined the team in October 2022 as Director of Communications and Events. She has wide-ranging experience in communications and PR within arts organisations and charities including the V&A, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Arts as well as for PR agencies specialising in culture and healthcare. She is passionate about nature and the outdoors, the visual arts, heritage and reading.

Julia Dustan – Director of Finance

Julia joined the team in May 2020. Julia is a Chartered Management Accountant and previously worked in distribution, manufacturing and engineering before moving to the not-for profit sector. She joined us from Ansbury, a Dorset based youth engagement and employability charity. Julia is a keen road cyclist and tennis player.

Bethan Cummings – Director of Fundraising

Bethan joined Horatio’s Garden in March 2020 and is part-funded by The Ashden Trust. Bethan has been a fundraiser in the charity sector for over 12 years, and has raised large sums for Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Teenage Cancer Trust, Beanstalk and Career Ready. Originally from the North West, Bethan has recently moved to Dorset and is enjoying the beautiful beaches and coastline.