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Two young people painting outdoor walls, one has just painted a heart on the wall and is facing the camera smiling
22 May 2025

The hospital garden that sparked a refresh of youth spaces across the Isle of Wight

In 2023, we began working with the Isle of Wight NHS Youth Forum as part of our Young Cultural Changemakers programme. After initial discussions, the Forum (a small group of young people aged 16 – 25, several of who had been hospital inpatients) decided to focus their project on reviving a garden in the youth ward which had fallen into disuse. 

The Forum selected local artist Laura Hathaway for the project and got involved at every stage – from initial design ideas to painting and constructing garden furniture. Their vision was to create an outdoor sanctuary where patients could find moments of calm away from the ward environment. 

Guided by empathy for young patients, they filled the space with soothing pastel colours, places to sit, nature, and other elements that create a sense of escape. To ensure everyone could use the space, they made decisions that considered accessibility, such as the use of low-pollen plants. What gives this project particular impact is that being designed by young people, it reflects what many young people using the garden would want. 

  • Young person painting patterns onto a large paper sheet as part of planning a mural
  • A small garden space surrounded by buildings. Garden has pastel coloured murals with nature imagery, bunting, a hanging egg shaped chair, a willow structure, and various garden plants
  • Two young people painting outdoor walls, one has just painted a heart on the wall and is facing the camera smiling
  • Two young people in a workshop helping an older man to make a wooden planter

About the garden, Paediatric Consultant Emma Blake said: ​“They had amazing ideas and really drove the project from the front. The colour tone was picked by them, they chose the artist. They particularly wanted a nature theme and ideas included – den, living wall, living roof, soothing colours. They considered safeguarding, risk assessment, poisoning and allergy risk, ligature points. This is a space for adolescents designed by adolescents. And they did the lion’s share of the physical work (mainly in the rain!)” 

The garden complements patient care by providing a peaceful outdoor space away from the ​“hustle and bustle of the ward,” according to staff surveyed. ​“Young people are often on the ward during periods of extreme stress and the outside space offers that time out to be able to breathe.” With an estimated 3,600 young people benefiting annually, the impact is significant and ongoing. 

Not ending there, the project has inspired additional youth-led projects on the Isle of Wight. A class of BTEC students worked with artists Hollie Jackson and Emma Goss from Community Murals IOW to redesign the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) waiting area. Following on from that, the Youth Trust reception area also underwent a similar transformation process, and another group collaborated with an artist to create a ceiling mural in a police holding cell for young people and vulnerable adults. 

Our Young Cultural Changemakers programme demonstrates that empowering young people to lead and giving them the resources to explore their creativity creates meaningful community impact. Effects of our projects are still unfolding, with one creative project inspiring the next, and more community leaders seeing the benefit of youth voice and leadership. 

  • A waiting area with rows of chairs, walls painted in pastel green and yellow with pastel hued artworks on the walls and a plant
  • Reception area decorated in pastel pinks and greens with text on the walls reads 'just keep swimming' 'be yourself', circles and nature inspired motifs

Our youth-led work on the Isle of Wight

We’ve been running our Young Cultural Changemakers programme on the Isle of Wight for the last few years. Click below to find out more about what we’ve been getting up to on the Island:

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