Ventnor Botanic Garden has launched a new ‘Recovery Pass’ for patients of the Respiratory Department at St Mary’s Hospital.
After working closely with the team in the Respiratory Department, which is led by Samantha Cammack-Harding, Ventnor Botanic Garden is now offering unlimited access to the gardens for up to 3 months per patient.
With a long history of providing care and a place for healing, with the former TB Hospital The Royal Hospital for Diseases of the Chest situated within the grounds of the Garden, it was only natural to offer this new opportunity for healing.
The medical staff are able to nominate patients who they believe will benefit the most from the open spaces and fresh air on offer within the Botanic Garden.
Some of Samantha’s team celebrated ‘Love your Lungs week’ at the end of June by visiting Ventnor Botanic Garden for the day. A day of exploring the gardens was then finished off by a presentation of the passes and lunch at the edulis Restaurant.
Kai Davis, Marketing & Events Manager at Ventnor Botanic Garden, has said:
“We’re incredibly proud to have been able to create this fantastic opportunity for people suffering with various respiratory issues at St Mary’s to come to the Garden, to join in with our wellbeing schedule and to feel better, while working toward their own recovery in some way.
“Ventnor Botanic Garden looks forward to welcoming the first of many patients through our new Recovery Pass Scheme and we hope to explore new areas where this pass can be used in the future”.
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Of course, entry should be free at ALL TIMES to EVERYONE, as the Botanic Gardens site was gifted to the people of Ventnor many years ago! Most people don’t know this fact.
It always used to be free anyway a few years back. Started charging after they got a load of lottery money to ruin the cafe that was there. Shouldn’t be charged to walk around at all.
Yea, used to be free, but its privately owned now. Didn’t the council sell it to the present owner? I used to love to stroll around the garden at any time of the year. The garden tavern was great. Its all been changed, in my eyes not for the better. A couple of seasons ago my wife and i had a couples annual pass to the gardens, then they virtually doubled the price so we dont go anymore. But well done to the owner for offering help to the hospital respiratory patients with free temporary passes. In this world nothing stays the same, but if it aint broke dont fix it.
Many island animal lovers refuse to go there now because of the owner’s links to hunting. I’m one of them.
Thank you Kai for all your good work…