The beginning of 2021 marks a bit of a change to the team in Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville, as we warmly welcome new Head Gardener, Amalia Moffett, and new Garden Administrator, Debs Grigg.
Amalia, known as Amy, is a Kew-trained horticulturalist with a fondness for all things bright and beautiful. She has 15 years of experience working in public gardens from Cornwall to New Zealand and is passionate about connecting people with nature, inspiring everyone to see its beauty, resilience and adaptability. Her love of plants, trees, fungi and wildlife is no secret, and as a maker of beautiful jewellery, Amy is destined to be a wonderful source of support, creativity and encouragement for everyone spending time in the National Spinal Injuries Centre.
Speaking on her first day in her new role, Amy shared, “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the team here at Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville. It’s a real privilege to be able to contribute to such a great cause while nurturing such a beautiful garden!”
“Jacqui has clearly had such a positive impact during her time here as Head Gardener and in taking the reins now I hope to continue to help facilitate positivity and hope for many more patients with spinal injuries into the future.”
Similarly, Debs will also be bringing her experience as a fantastic administrator and events organiser to the charity, along with an abundant interest in gardening. She is currently embarking on a Level 2 RHS course, meaning she will be able to help Amy, our incredible volunteer team, patients and NHS staff in the garden too.
Of course, the arrival of both Amy and Debs does mean that we are sadly saying goodbye to our current team, Head Gardener, Jacqui Martin-Löf, and Garden Administrator, Anna Lockwood.
Both Jacqui and Anna have been absolutely phenomenal in establishing Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville. Together they have ensured that the garden has been an endless fountain of warmth and kindness for patients, their loved ones and NHS staff since the garden opened in 2018, which is a testament to their immense dedication.
Now, this beautiful place and everything it represents is being left in the gentle, caring hands of Amy and Debs, who will undoubtedly continue to nurture Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville with all the thoughtfulness of Jacqui and Anna before them.
Particularly wonderfully, Jacqui will still be very much involved with Horatio’s Garden, fulfilling her new role as Head Gardeners’ Leader. We’re thrilled that she will still be at the heart of the charity, despite starting the next aspirational chapter of her life in Cornwall. Similarly, we’re enormously pleased that Anna will be continuing as a volunteer in the garden, meaning she will remain a part of the vital team making all our work possible.
We are truly delighted to be welcoming Amy and Debs to the team and wish both Jacqui and Anna all the very best for the future.
