Staff from the NatWest Group have been giving up their time to plant more than 7,000 bushes and trees as part of a new hedgerow which will increase biodiversity and enhance greenspace at the Gartnavel Hospitals Campus.
Since the first COVID lockdown, two years ago, use of the greenspace has gone up by over 500 per cent. The hedgerow will provide a natural barrier, affording patients in adjoining wards some extra privacy, without restricting access to the incredible outdoor amenity.
Teri Grieve, Senior Project Officer at The Conservation Volunteers, said: “This is about increasing biodiversity and tackling climate change, but it also helps provide some more privacy for patients in the wards.
“The plants are all native to the area, including hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, apple and cherry trees and bushes, which when mature will provide fruit for harvest. There will also be willow which will provide opportunities for basket weaving, all part of natural, therapeutic activities for patients too.”
Speaking of the volunteers, Teri added: “They’re all very hard working. NatWest is one of our biggest partners and we’ve worked together for 15 years. We really value them giving their time. What they are doing is great for the environment and the wider community as well.”
Duncan Conway, Team Lead for the volunteer team from NatWest Group, said: “This feeds into the key pillars of the bank, in terms of helping local communities and we are all Glasgow-based and we are all keen on the green agenda, and there’s nothing more green than planting trees!
“It’s nice to be out on a sunny day and be able to bond with the team. During COVID, everyone was indoors and it’s good to be able to see everyone and it helps us to recapture some of the team bonding which might have been lost.”
Fiona Sinclair, Voluntary Services Manager of the Art in the Gart Mental Health volunteer programme at Gartnavel Royal Hospital, said: “We’re delighted to have the volunteers from NatWest, through their contact with our partners from The Conservation Volunteers, helping us to further enhance the incredible greenspace at the Gartnavel Hospitals Campus and we alI want to thank them for their wonderful work.
“With more and more people using the space, we want to build natural ways to allow a little more privacy for our patients in the wards. Once mature, the new hedgerows will provide a haven for wildlife and even fruit for harvest, without limiting access to what remains a valuable community asset.”
