Funded
- About
Help us create a place of calm, hope and healing – an ICU Garden at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
We’re raising £150,000 to build a dedicated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) garden at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital – and we need your help.
ICU patients are some of the most critically ill people in hospital care – many are fighting for their lives, unable to move, speak or even see the outside world for days, weeks, or even months. Their families often sit in long vigils, holding onto hope in a space surrounded by machines, beeping monitors, and four clinical walls.
We want to give these patients and families a breath of fresh air.
A garden that changes everything
We want to transform an underused outdoor area at the hospital into a purpose-built, accessible garden that offers:
🌿 Contact with nature in a safe, calm space – with specially designed access for beds, ventilators and medical equipment.
🌿 A moment of tranquillity for families – where they can sit together, hold hands, and reconnect with nature during the most difficult times.
🌿 A green haven for ICU staff – offering brief but vital respite during long, emotionally demanding shifts.
Studies show that access to green space can speed up recovery, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep – even in intensive care. This garden will be more than just beautiful – it will be part of the healing process.
"I had a prolonged stay in ICU of 45 days and felt cut off from the outside world. While I'm reluctant to say it, in many ways I felt like a prisoner - denied access to things that we take for granted including being outside, seeing the sky and breathing fresh air. When the doctor suggested that I might be able to be wheeled outside in my bed it felt like I was preparing to go to the moon. As we went outside I felt genuine elation - it was a grey day but the sky seemed piercingly bright and the air was fresh and cold. I could see the joy on my family's face - both happy to see me smile and a renewed sense of hope. It was a great day. It's difficult to put into words how much of a difference the whole process of going outside made to my mindset, my family's wellbeing and ultimately my recovery."
Former ICU patient, Brad Hillson
Why Now?
The need for this garden has never been more urgent. The pressures on ICU services are increasing and projects like this one go beyond what’s possible with NHS funding. As we rebuild and recover post-pandemic, it’s time to invest in the human side of healthcare.
Wheeling patients in their bed to one of the hospital’s main entrances – along with all the necessary medical equipment – is currently the only outdoor option available, one which denies any privacy, peace or relaxed time with relatives.
With your help, we can break the boundary between hospital and nature – and bring peace, comfort and dignity to those who need it most.
Every pound plants a seed of hope
We’re asking our community, local businesses, and compassionate supporters to help raise £170,000 to make this vision a reality.
Your donation will help cover:
🌿 Specialist landscaping and garden design and lighting
🌿 Accessibility adaptations for ICU patients
🌿 Comfortable, weather-resistant seating for families
🌿 Privacy screens, shade and sensory planting
🌿 Long-term maintenance to ensure the garden thrives
Be part of something life-changing
You can make a difference today. Whether you donate £10, £100, or fundraise as a group, your support will bring light into one of the darkest places in the hospital.
Together, let’s create a space that brings hope, humanity and healing to our ICU. Because even in the most critical moments - nature heals.
