I’m Corey, I’m 32 and I work as a solicitor at HCC Solicitors. I live in Gloucestershire, and when I’m not in the office or commuting up and down the country, I try to keep active and enjoy doing triathlons.
I started volunteering with Horatio’s Garden Oswestry through work. HCC Solicitors is a proud corporate partner of the charity, and as a firm, we support people who’ve experienced serious and catastrophic injuries. A lot of our clients have spinal injuries, and some end up as patients in these hospitals. So we get to see, quite up close, what life is like for people after their injury, and how a space like this garden makes a difference.
Heather, another volunteer here at Horatio’s Garden Oswestry, told me that when her dad was here years ago, there was nothing, just a concrete slab outside. No space to adjust to life again, to see your family outside the ward, to feel independent. Horatio’s Garden changes all that. It gives people somewhere they can be themselves again, even if just for a cup of tea in the sunshine. That’s what made me want to be involved. We see how hard things are for our clients, and if we can give a bit of time to make things a bit easier, it just feels right.
One case I’ll never forget was a motorcyclist who ended up here at Oswestry after a car pulled out in front of him. He had no use of any of his limbs. Incredibly tough situation, but he was such a positive guy, he was always upbeat. He had amazing things to say about the ward staff and how supportive everyone was. It wasn’t easy though. He started off barely able to speak because of a tracheostomy, and this was during Covid too, so we were all in full PPE. It was hard to communicate. But slowly, things changed. He’d spent a lot of time out in the garden when he could, it made a massive difference to him. Just having that space to escape the ward, especially when visits were so limited, meant everything. He was eventually discharged to a private flat near his son, with a live-in nurse and a full care package.
The first time I came to the garden, I’ll admit, I didn’t know what to expect. The word garden doesn’t really do it justice. You picture a patch of grass and a few plants, don’t you? But this feels like more of a community space. Yes, it’s beautifully kept – Alex, the Head Gardener, does an amazing job of this – but it’s also about the people. Families, volunteers, the people, everyone comes together here. It’s warm and welcoming. It’s a proper part of recovery, not just somewhere pretty to look at.
I usually come up every few months, as part of our firm’s rota. I always leave wishing I could be here more often. It’s a nice break from the usual fast pace as it’s so peaceful and grounding. Every time I finish a shift, Alex thanks us for coming, but I always tell him: we get just as much out of it as we give. Especially working in a job that can be full-on, it’s good to step away, slow down, and see the direct impact of something positive.
When we’re here, it depends what needs doing. Sometimes we’re straight into gardening – clearing leaves, sorting out flower beds. I actually enjoy that, it’s one of those things where you can see the result straight away. But what I really like is going up to the ward and chatting to people, seeing if they fancy coming out to the garden. It can take a bit of encouragement though, sometimes people are just waiting for someone to ask. You know how isolating the wards can be, and if we can help bridge that, even a little bit, it’s worth it.
I was definitely nervous the first time. You don’t know how people are going to react to someone turning up in a Horatio’s Garden T-shirt who’s not medically trained, but the thing is, once people see you’re just there to help, and that you care, everyone’s lovely. The other volunteers are so warm and welcoming. As soon as you step foot in the garden, it feels like home.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much the garden is used by NHS staff too. I thought it’d be mainly patients, but you see just as many staff coming out here for a breather. It must help them, just as much. I imagine seeing their patients outside and happy helps them feel better too, especially when the job’s so intense. And then there’s the simple fact that they get a chance to step out, have a moment of peace, and not have to be “on” all the time. That’s got to be invaluable.
So yeah, 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.
