Fundraising provides new Wellbeing Courtyard for Stanmore

Posted by June Heath on 14 October 2026

The Wellbeing Courtyard at Stanmore is complete! This is the second outdoor area that has been completely upgraded for patients at RNOH this year as part of our Green Spaces fundraising projects. Thank you to the Orthopaedic Oncology Therapy Team for initiating this brilliant new space.

Following the successful opening of Mick's Allotment this summer, the new Wellbeing Courtyard is now a place of peace for moments of calm during treatment, with seating, plants and a water feature.

Laura Mitham, Therapy Technician in the Orthopaedic Oncology Therapy Team and project lead, said: “After acknowledging the lack of an outdoor space for adult inpatients since the opening of The Stanmore Building, I initiated a project to create an area where patients could safely access fresh air and connect with nature.

“This need was particularly evident within our Oncology, Amputee and Orthopaedic patient groups, many of whom experience significant emotional and psychological challenges during lengthy hospital admissions. Access to outdoor environments is something many valued before coming into hospital, yet it was no longer readily available to them.
“Thanks to the support of RNOH Estates, who kindly made the space available, and the generosity of RNOH Charity, one of our oncology patients, and RNOH Charity Ambassador David Holmes MBE, we have been able to transform the area into a therapeutic space. Patients can now enjoy sensory experiences through planting, the sight and smell of flowers, the soothing sound of a water feature, and an outdoor environment.

“For patients facing long inpatient stays, this space provides far more than fresh air. It offers a sense of normality, relaxation and emotional respite. As a team, we have already seen how being outdoors can improve mood, increase engagement and enhance overall wellbeing, making this project one that is especially important to both me and the Oncology Therapy team.”

Congratulations, Team Green! It’s looking lovely and fresh. We are very proud to be supporting the Green Spaces initiatives and can’t wait to see more.