NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has installed the first ever piece of outdoor art at Stobhill Hospital’s Mental Health Campus in Glasgow, signalling a summer of work to improve the hospital’s greenspaces and outdoor facilities.

The Willow Arch has been designed and built by willow artist and sculptor Geoff Forest, and it will be surrounded by flowers and plants to bring structure, colour and scent year-round.

Inside the willow structure, circular seating designed by ERZ landscape architects and built and installed by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Glasgow Wood Recycling, provides a sheltered, tranquil space for patients, visitors, carers, and staff, encouraging its use as an outdoor rest or visiting area.

As well as creating a place to meet and rest, and acting as a destination in itself for walking tours and other outdoor activities, its completion is only the beginning for the Stobhill site and the surrounding community.

Now that he has finished the arch, Geoff Forest will deliver training to greenspace volunteers, and staff who are interested, in pruning and maintenance, improving employability skills for those involved.

And on top of that, it is hoped that the development will kick-start a range of changes to the site over spring and summer to attract and upskill more volunteers and to benefit the local community.

Fiona Roche, Greenspace Officer at NHSGGC, welcomed the start of work. She said:“Stobhill Hospital and its Mental Health Campus is a real landmark in the local area, but while its buildings are surrounded by considerable areas of greenspace, it has become clear that some of these spaces are not being used to their full potential.

“We are hoping that the creation of the Willow Arch will be the first of many exciting developments in the area, heralding practical benefits as well as creating tranquil, beautiful places for patients, visitors and staff alike.”

Elaine Melville, Volunteer Co-ordinator for In-Patient Mental Health Services at Stobhill and one of the drivers of the new greenspace project, hopes that the expansion of greenspace projects will be of benefit to volunteers and to the local community. She said: “Over the years, many of our volunteers have been users of mental health services at the Campus, and we hope that learning how to maintain greenspaces like these will be hugely rewarding to them and other volunteers, and may even lead to new career opportunities for some of them.

“And as we expand our horizons, we are hoping that future developments – including a community food project run by volunteers – will bring real health benefits to people who live nearby.

“I’d like to thank Geoff for his ongoing connections with the hospital, and ERZ, TCV and Glasgow Wood Recycling for their work on the seating area. I would also like to thank the NHSGGC Charity and the Green Exercise Partnership for providing funding for the project.”

Greenspace is one of the five key Areas of Focus for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as it seeks to play its part in tackling the climate emergency and enhance biodiversity.

NHSGGC is committed to enhancing greenspaces across its estate, as well-managed green and open spaces support and contribute to enhanced biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, active travel, and a reduction in the effects of air pollution, excessive noise, heat, and flooding.

As well as the environmental benefits of greenspace, there is an increasing body of evidence linking access to high quality greenspace with enhanced physical and mental health and wellbeing. Spending time in greenspace has been shown to have both a preventative and restorative effect on health and wellbeing, and this effect is observed most strongly among those living in more deprived areas.

More information on NHSGGC’s commitments to sustainability and tackling climate change, and to its green and open spaces, can be found at our website: Sustainability - NHSGGC