Janine’s story
August 5, 2026
It was pretty terrifying. I went from being a professional photographer, subbing as a teacher and doing a Pilates class on the Thursday, to not being able to feel my legs by the Wednesday.
Ryan’s story
August 4, 2026
Since the garden opened, I’ve felt my own quality of life improve.
Brian’s story
August 4, 2026
Horatio’s Garden means so much to me – it’s a calm world amidst the chaos that’s going on in your own mind.
Amy’s story
July 13, 2026
To anyone who might doubt whether the garden helps rehabilitation, I would say that five minutes is all you’d need to experience the quiet, the birdsong and the smell of the flowers.
Helen and Harry’s story
July 9, 2026
I will never forget Horatio’s Garden, and the tribute it pays to Horatio’s vision of beautiful outdoor spaces for people with spinal injuries.
Maxwell’s story
July 6, 2026
As a former sailor, I sometimes think of it as rowing back to myself - my new self, and the future.
Ashley’s story
June 23, 2026
An accident during a normal morning at home changed everything.
Des’ story
June 5, 2026
My connection with the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries goes back over forty years to when I was first injured.
Martin’s story
June 3, 2026
I’d always lived a busy and physically active life running an international firework display company and managing a small farm with my wife where we keep cattle and horses.
Deb’s story
June 1, 2026
It was the end of July, and my family and I had spent a spontaneous day at the beach enjoying salt-water swims into the summer evening.
John’s story
May 29, 2026
I just love being in and around the peaceful setting and talking to newly injured people, as well as their families and friends, offering them support and advice as they come to terms with this life-changing event.
David’s story
May 5, 2026
Seeing the scans, I realised how close I’d come to dying. If my spinal cord had been severed on that mountain, I wouldn’t have made it.
Tracy’s story
April 24, 2026
It’s a real shock when you’re fit and well to suddenly find yourself in hospital.
Ryan’s story
March 24, 2026
I just love it here. It’s a beautiful garden. I’m Ryan, and I am a volunteer here at Horatio’s Belfast....
Cameron’s story
February 24, 2026
I take risks. It's a part of everything I do - paragliding, motorbikes, travelling, adventures all around the world. Something can go wrong at any point. People used to say, “it’s only a matter of time”, until time caught up.
Fabiana’s story
February 13, 2026
The garden also had a huge impact on my family and visitors. They enjoy coming to see me here. It’s not about visiting me, but about spending time together in such a beautiful, peaceful place where we all feel relaxed.
Nessie’s story
February 11, 2026
That’s why Horatio’s Garden is so special. When you’re in hospital for such a long time, it’s so important to have somewhere to go. I know it would’ve made such a difference for me and I see it making a difference for so many people from across Dorset and the south west every time I’m there volunteering.
Lily’s story
February 6, 2026
Many of us are here for months at a time. Having somewhere like this – somewhere peaceful, beautiful and human – makes all the difference.
Callum’s story
January 30, 2026
One moment I was celebrating a friend’s birthday, and the next my life changed forever.
Mark’s story
December 19, 2025
I just couldn’t believe it. I was speechless. I’m in the middle of Salisbury Hospital, with all the buzzers, the...
Robin’s story
October 2, 2025
Nowadays, the courtyard garden is a welcome treat and a space to recuperate, especially when there’s cake on the go, after hand therapy or physiotherapy on a Friday. There are certain areas of this hospital that don’t feel like a hospital and it’s all due to this garden.
Ceri’s story
August 27, 2025
I’m always out in the garden, especially in all this lovely weather! As soon as my family come they say, “let’s go out in the garden!” My brother brings my two year old nephew to come to see me and he loves running around and smelling the mint plant. It’s for everyone and it’s just lovely to have that time together.
James’ story
August 19, 2025
The garden is a nice place to chill and it has really improved my time in hospital. Having a space outside is good for your mental health, and I would always encourage other patients to visit the garden, even if you’re on your own without visitors.
Gill’s story
August 15, 2025
I’m already a keen gardener, so it felt nice to get back to doing things that felt a bit normal. I also like doing crafty things. I’ve never considered myself as being particularly artistic, but I’ve had a go and have been pleasantly surprised with the results!
Paul’s story
August 8, 2025
The garden provides a great social space. There’s a social aspect to all the activities: you’re with some of the other patients and some of the volunteers, who have all been helpful. It’s really healthy to chat to other people.
Tony’s story
July 18, 2025
I still enjoy things I always have. Chess, good food, a glass of wine. But having a place like this while you’re rebuilding everything really does mean the world.
Aeneas, Roy and Moira’s story
July 16, 2025
For my dad, it’s about building back his aliveness, being around things that are alive, well, growing. I think being here helps him get into that mental state, without even really thinking about it.
Julian’s story
July 16, 2025
The garden has become a refuge for me, somewhere to step away from those difficult places.
Corey’s story
July 15, 2025
Volunteering here’s been a real eye-opener. I came thinking I’d be helping out, which I hope I am, but I didn’t realise how much it would give back to me too.
Juan’s story
July 2, 2025
Every time my friends visit, the garden is our meeting place. The garden is much more vibrant and cosy than the ward. We usually have a cup of tea here, and some of my friends have done ceramics and painting sessions with me.
Liz’s story
July 1, 2025
Horatio’s Garden really, really is therapy. You see that life starts as a seed and then carries on, and I actually see myself in that - the major surgery is a basis for my life to go up and improve. I can’t even put into words what it means. It’s just beautiful.
Stuart’s story
June 6, 2025
Being able to create and learn whilst outside in a beautiful space has been a huge part in keeping me sane. It breaks up the long days. It reminds you that there’s still beauty out there, still things to enjoy.
Alan’s story
June 6, 2025
My late wife loved the colour purple. So whenever I’m in the garden, I like to sit near the purple flowers. Feels like she’s with me somehow.
Russell’s story
May 16, 2025
I love the flowers – the hydrangeas are beautiful in the woodland garden and the crocosmia in the square are absolutely stunning. I just love the garden and it makes the whole experience of being in hospital so much more bearable.
Mohammed’s story
May 6, 2025
People don't realise how much of an impact spinal cord injury has. If you think it's bad, it's worse. Horatio's Garden is a place that brings beauty in an incredibly difficult, vulnerable time.
Angela’s story
April 9, 2025
My favourite thing about the garden is the fact that it’s ever-changing, which is a bit like my recovery. I think that’s helped me to reflect on this journey at the moment, because you lose some things, you gain some things, you have bad days, and you have good days. But there’s space for all of it in the garden.
Nick’s story
March 25, 2025
The journey hasn’t been easy, but Horatio’s Garden has been a real source of comfort along the way. It’s a truly special place.
Archer’s story
March 21, 2025
When you’re staying on the ward, you don’t realise how much you miss being outside, how much you need nature, until you’re finally given the opportunity to experience it again. It’s not just a garden, it’s a lifeline.
Lynn’s story
March 18, 2025
I began to see beauty in the smallest details; the way the sunlight filtered through leaves, illuminating new paths, and how each flower, despite its challenges, managed to bloom... The gardens seemed to make the unbearable things bearable.
Margaret’s story
March 7, 2025
No matter where life takes me from here, I will never forget my time at Horatio’s Garden. The colours and the sense of mindfulness I found there will stay with me always.
John’s story
February 28, 2025
I look back at my time at Horatio’s Garden and feel very grateful that such a traumatic experience was made more bearable through the gardens.
Roxie’s story
February 21, 2025
Life after a spinal injury is full of unknowns, of challenges you don’t expect. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you’re never too old to try new things, never too stuck to find new joys.
Henrietta’s story
February 21, 2025
For me, Horatio’s Garden was truly life-changing. Without it, the experience would have been almost unbearable.
Sharon’s story
February 13, 2025
What I love most about the garden is what it gives - not just to people in the gardens, but to the family members, too. It’s a place to breathe, to escape for a little while. It gives us a sense of normality.
Phil’s story
February 11, 2025
I’ll always be grateful for my time here. This garden, and the people in it, have made all the difference.
Jo’s story
February 4, 2025
As you get older, life closes in a bit; you lose friends, travel becomes harder. But there is still so much to enjoy every day. This garden, and the people in it, are part of that for me.
James’ story
January 28, 2025
For me, the garden’s impact was profound. It wasn’t just about being outside; the garden encourages friendships and a sense of normalcy in an otherwise isolating environment.
Carrianne’s story
January 24, 2025
Photography brought out a fire in my belly. It gave me a passion and helped me to look forward to life again after being told I was never going to walk again.
George’s story
December 12, 2024
The pottery is the only thing that really got my fingers working. By kneading the pottery and rolling it out, rather than all this stuff I’ve been doing upstairs in the OT room, it’s made a huge difference.
Donal’s story
November 29, 2024
I’m sure I will never forget this garden. I was out there at every opportunity, was probably the last person to leave the garden each evening and return to the ward.
Vish’s story
November 26, 2024
The garden is like a different kind of rehab – emotional, more than just physical. It’s quite brilliant.
Pia’s story
November 8, 2024
The garden allowed me to reconnect with myself and the world in so many ways. I did yoga, pottery, photography, listened to live music and even sang alongside one of the musicians. It’s such a good way of relieving stress.
Tony’s story
September 27, 2024
Anybody who’s got a spinal injury, sometimes thinks ‘oh, why me?’, whereas you should be thinking ‘why not me?’. Don’t be afraid, because coming here will give you a tremendous number of benefits.
Pam’s story
September 20, 2024
The first weeks I spent in hospital were enlightening. The staff are lovely, they can’t do enough to help you and they’re very informed on how to make the situation you’re living in better.
Susan’s story
September 14, 2024
When you’re in a hospital ward there’s lots of noise, it’s very hard to relax. When you come into the garden the first thing is the quiet and the peacefulness, so you really get the opportunity to relax your mind and relax your body.
Portia’s story
September 6, 2024
Helping something to grow has had a really positive impact on me, because I feel like I’m looking after something and it takes my mind away from everything, which is lovely. The garden is just a really nice, safe space.
Kim’s story
September 4, 2024
I have made so many memories in Horatio’s Garden. The memories of people I’ve met, their journeys, my journey as well as all of the crafts I have made will always be with me.
Chander’s story
September 4, 2024
Horatio’s Garden has been a sanctuary for me and my family. It has given me a bit of home away from home where we can all sit peacefully together and enjoy the garden.
Ivana’s story
September 4, 2024
The garden makes a big difference! All the greenery helps to cheer you up as you can look out of a window and it’s just beautiful.
Barry’s story
August 20, 2024
With home over three hours away, the garden kept me busy and I immediately felt the benefits. I loved planting bulbs and seeds in the garden, as well as all the creative workshops. I’ll always treasure my memories of being in Horatio’s Garden.
Kevin’s story
July 31, 2024
The garden is such a good space for socialising with other patients and I have made some really good friends here. We have a good laugh which really uplifts our mood.
Lowrie’s story
July 31, 2024
The garden soon became a haven for me as a tranquil sanctuary which distracted me from the noise of the ward.
Charlotte’s story
July 31, 2024
Once I was out of isolation, I used the garden every day! Whenever I wasn’t in physio, at the gym, or with doctors, I was in the garden.
Paul’s story
July 26, 2024
The garden, and in particular the garden room, has given me a reason to get out of bed. I now get up early in the morning so I can go into the garden and take a paper or a book. It is great escapism, which brightens up my day, lifts my mood, and gives me the feel-good factor.
Nina’s story
July 17, 2024
The garden gave me that safe space mentally and emotionally. I could use the small garden rooms to write, to draw, to paint, to meditate, and the garden offered me the chance to learn skills and hobbies that I never would have tried prior to my injury.
Kieran’s story
July 3, 2024
The arts activities in Horatio’s Garden are a really good distraction from the difficulties of spinal injury, and they’re brilliant social times too.
Terry’s story
June 6, 2024
Meet Terry. We're sharing his story to celebrate Volunteers' Week 2024, so why not spend a moment discovering a little more about what inspired him to join our volunteer team in Horatio's Garden London & South East.
Paul’s story
May 7, 2024
Horatio’s Garden has been wonderful. It’s amazing, awesome, inspirational, motivating, and I think the most important thing is that it gives you space.
Olaf’s story
February 8, 2024
I am so thankful for the peace, tranquillity, and fresh air. I often find myself looking out across the countryside to the distant waters of the Bristol Channel. The garden gives me a chance to clear my head.
Winston’s story
February 7, 2024
I will always remember the flowers and plants, but most importantly, the people. The generosity that I've seen here is admirable.
Andrew’s story
June 6, 2023
As part of NCVO Volunteers' Week, we would love you to meet Andrew. Andrew is a brilliant Horatio's Garden ambassador, regularly volunteers in the charity's South West garden and has experienced life both with and without a Horatio's Garden.
Richard’s story
June 6, 2023
Our dedicated volunteers are the heart of Horatio’s Garden. They nurture our gardens to bloom and blossom, whilst supporting patient’s physical and emotional health with care and consideration.
Steven’s story
April 8, 2022
The garden was a place where I could find some tranquillity from the busy ward. It gave me the space to contemplate, read and a chance to reconnect with nature by just watching the bees, birds and squirrels go about the garden.
Yasmin’s story
April 8, 2022
Yasmin may only have been volunteering in Horatio’s Garden London & South East for a few months, but her wonderful,...
LIAM’S VOLUNTEERING STORY
February 18, 2022
Liam is one of our brilliant volunteers in Horatio’s Garden London & South East. He’s 33 and lives in Harrow,...
DES’ VOLUNTEERING STORY
February 4, 2022
Meet Des. He’s recently become a volunteer in Horatio’s Garden Midlands. Here, he’s pictured with Helen Silver, a hugely respected...