This week marked the opening of the newly developed Woodland Retreat at Northgate Hospital, Morpeth.
Northgate Hospital is home to several highly specialist inpatient services including autism services, a medium secure unit and a number of community services.
The wellbeing space is located in the woodland on the site, creating a sense of peace and quietness. It is a space for patients and staff to use to take some time to themselves, reconnect with nature and explore activities that support health and wellbeing. It features decking, wooden wellbeing signs and bird boxes all constructed by the Woodwork team. The space will also be used for events, especially in the summertime.
Colleagues and patients across the site attended the opening event which started with greetings, teas, coffees and taste testing some matcha. Followed by a speech by the Sport and Fitness HUB team thanking the Woodwork team who built the area, housing specialist Lovell and the SHINE fund who helped fund the project. The team also ran a relaxing forest bathing session and a woodland yoga session.
This area is an amazing addition to the forest space at Northgate Hospital and will be thoroughly enjoyed by all. A huge thank you to Lovell and the SHINE Fund for the funding and to staff, for bringing this vision to life.
Ashleigh Tate, Marketing and Social Impact Manager at Lovell said “We are delighted to support the Woodland Retreat and the positive impact it will have on patients' wellbeing. Creating opportunities for people to connect with nature is incredibly important, and we're pleased to contribute to a project that will benefit so many people.”
We’d also like to thank our fantastic Woodwork and Sports teams for their hard work, creativity and commitment in creating this special space.
